Unusual manifestation of pancreatic cancer in a young patient

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer, often described as the most devastating among cancers, characterized by a malignant tumor with a grim prognosis and a limited response to systemic therapy. Its characterization is common in old age and very rare and unusual in the young age. We present an unusual case of a male patient, 35 years old. A case of diabetes and of pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas with stomach and bone metastases, highlighting its diagnostic challenges and management. The patient presented with changed bowel habits for a month, generalized body aches for a week, hip joint pain with decreased mobility for a week, decreased oral intake for three to four days, and hematuria for two days. The patient complained of irregular bowel habits, which included fatty and oily feces, minor abdominal discomfort, and intermittent constipation. According to the patient, he developed generalized bone pain in upper as well as lower back unlike usually present in pancreatic cancer. A contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed indications of a heterogeneously enhancing lesion in the pancreatic head, with an interior necrotic component measuring 32x31 mm and generating a substantial dilatation of the pancreatic duct and CBD. A tentative diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in the head of the pancreas with stomach and bone metastases was made based on clinical history and testing. Given the poor prognosis associated with pancreatic cancer patients, the patient was admitted for conservative and palliative care. This case emphasizes the rarity of pancreatic cancer in young patients and that further research is needed to understand its epidemiology and etiology.