A doctor uses the following to diagnose pancreatic cancer:
- By taking a medical history, a doctor learns the story of the illness, such as the time of onset, nature and location of pain, smoking history, and other medical problems.
- During a physical exam, a doctor might feel a mass in the abdomen and notice swollen lymph nodes in the neck, jaundiced skin, or weight loss.
- Lab tests may show evidence that bile flow is being blocked, or other abnormalities.