Diet and pancreatic cancer –
support with eating and digestion

• The pancreas produces enzymes which digest (break down) food.  

• Pancreatic cancer can reduce the number of enzymes that your pancreas makes. It can also block the enzymes from getting to where they are needed for digestion. This means you don’t get the nutrition you need from your food.  

• This can cause symptoms like weight loss, indigestion, tummy pain, feeling sick, bloating and wind, and changes to your poo. 

• The symptoms can often be managed with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT). This replaces the enzymes normally made by the pancreas.  

• PERT is available on the NHS. The brand names are Creon®, Nutrizym®, or Pancrex®. 

• We know that there have been problems with the supply of some brands of PERT recently. If this is affecting you, find out more in our blog, including things you can do. 

• You do not need to follow a special diet if you have pancreatic cancer, and there are no foods to avoid.  

• PERT can make a big difference to how you feel. It can also help you cope better with treatments like chemotherapy. 

References

Email us at publications@pancreaticcancer.org.uk for references to the sources of information used to write this information.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the following people who reviewed our information on Diet and pancreatic cancer.

• Emma Westmancoat, HPB Clinical Lead Dietitian, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
• Mary Phillips, Advanced Clinical Practitioner / Senior Specialist Dietitian (Hepato-pancreatico-biliary surgery), Royal Surrey Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
• Pancreatic Cancer UK Lay Information Reviewers
• Pancreatic Cancer UK Specialist Nurses