What is the connection between anxiety and pancreatic cancer? Certainly, patients can develop problems with anxiety after a cancer diagnosis. But pancreatic cancer seems to have the curious characteristic of anxiety as a presenting symptom. The age at which anxiety presents itself may be a clue as to whether you're looking at mental illness or a possible cancer diagnosis. Dr. Benjamin Griffith, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Virginia and the Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine, explains to host Dr. Leslie Lundt.