Final answer:
The student conflated Pancoast tumor with pancreatic cancer, but the question seems centered on Pancoast tumor symptoms and urgent interventions. Pancreatic cancer presents with a different set of symptoms and diagnostic tests such as imaging and blood tests would be utilized for its diagnosis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to a Pancoast tumor, which is actually a type of lung cancer that occurs at the top of the lung and can cause distinct symptoms due to its location. However, the provided reference material is about pancreatic cancer, which is a separate topic. Since the student seems to be asking about Pancoast tumors but with a mix-up, it's important to clarify that the reference material provided is related to pancreatic cancer, and the information should instead focus on Pancoast tumors if that was the intended subject.
For pancreatic cancer, symptoms can include unusual lumps or swelling, hemorrhage, pain and ulceration, enlarged lymph nodes, weight loss, poor appetite, fatigue, and cachexia. The need for urgent intervention is often signaled by rapid weight loss, severe pain, obst jaundice, or the onset of diabetes. To diagnose pancreatic cancer, doctors might order various tests such as imaging tests (CT scan, MRI, PET scan), blood tests (including tumor markers like CA19-9), endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), or biopsies.