Emmerdale’s Tony Audenshaw has opened up on the “devastating” discovery of his wife, Ruth's, pancreatic cancer.
The actor, best known for playing Bob Hope in the ITV soap, spoke with Holly Willoughby and Phil Schofield about the harrowing events.
He explained that he is now raising money for Pancreatic Cancer UK by getting on his bike and peddling around the capital.
Chatting about his wife, he discussed how her healthy lifestyle had possibly hidden the symptoms of the disease.
“She was a really fit person”, he said. “She ran, she cycled and it was part of that which masked the symptoms.”
After eventually getting a diagnosis, Ruth eventually had an operation, but by that time it was too late and cancer had reacher other parts of her body.
“It was devastating because it was about two months after the operation we learned it had spread already”.
What are the early warning signs of pancreatic cancer?
Speaking about the early signs of pancreatic cancer in his wife, Tony said: “She did a lot of running and it could have been dehydration but other than that she was feeling a bit tired, but our daughter had just gone travelling so it could have had something to do with that.
“But she went to the doctors, this dark urine happened for a few days and they thought it might be a urine infection.
“They took tests and it wasn’t, by this time she’d gone yellow herself and her poo had gone a different colour.
According to theAmerican Cancer Society,jaundice is one of the main symptoms.
It is the yellowing of the eyes and skin and will be one of the first symptoms for most people with pancreatic cancer.
Jaundice is caused by a buildup of a dark yellow-brown substance called bilirubin.
When pancreatic cancer begins to spread it often moves into the liver – other signs of Jaundice include:
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Dark urine
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Light coloured, greasy stool
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Itchy skin
Be aware that pancreatic cancer isn't the most common cause of jaundice.
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Another common symptom of pancreatic cancer is pain in the abdomen or back when cancer that grows in the tail of the pancreas begins to press on organs, causing pain.
Weight loss or disappearance of appetite is also very common in people with pancreatic cancer, as are nausea and vomiting – cancer can press on the stomach which can make it hard for food to go through.
Pancreatic cancer can grow to block bile ducts, leading to the gallbladder becoming the site of a bile buildup. It can sometimes enlarge the liver if cancer has spread there and can cause blood clots.
A blood clot in a large vein is a very common early warning sign and is known as deep vein thrombosis or DVT.
Sudden swelling and redness, or even pain, in the affected area are all common signs.
Having a blood clot does not usually mean you have cancer, with most caused by other things.
Although rare, pancreatic cancers can cause diabetes as they can destroy insulin-producing cells.
This can lead to feelings of being thirsty or hungry and having to wee a lot.
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