1. Pain That Sits Between Your Shoulder Blades
The pancreas sits deep behind the stomach, tucked against the spine. When it inflames or a tumour begins to grow, the pain often radiates to the mid-back or between the shoulder blades rather than the abdomen. Most people reach for a pain balm. A 2019 study published in the Indian Journal of Gastroenterology found that back pain was the presenting complaint in nearly 40% of pancreatic cancer cases later diagnosed at advanced stages, patients had attributed it to posture or long sitting hours. If the ache is dull, persistent, and worse when you lie flat but slightly better when you lean forward, that is a specific pattern worth telling a doctor about.
