Diverticulitis: Unlikely - in the context of his known pancreatic cancer, however, it is important to remember that a patient’s symptoms may be due to causes unrelated to the primary illness.
Pancreatic cancer: Correct - worsening pain is common as pancreatic cancer progresses.
Cholecystitis: Unlikely - Murphy’s sign is negative, however, as noted above for diverticulitis, processes unrelated to primary disease should be considered.
Gastroenteritis: Incorrect - although pain may occur, a cardinal feature is diarrhea, not constipation.
Depression: Correct - as contributing factor - although NOT the primary cause of pain, depression (and anxiety) can influence the perception and experience of pain and other distressing symptoms
Constipation: Correct - constipation is a common cause of pain (as well as nausea, delirium, and fever) in patients with advanced illness due to decreased mobility, dehydration, and many medications.
Lumbar degenerative disc disease: Incorrect- although pain can be severe with acute disc disease causing nerve root or spinal canal impingement, abdominal pain would not be expected with lumbar disease.