Has my Dad got Pancreas Cancer?

wanderzz · New User Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 2

My dad went to ER because of severe upper abdominal pain early last October. But Doctor did not figure out why. He was let go home with some pain killers. In the following months, he visited different specialists, everyone had different diagnosis for his pain.

Until the middle of April, one doctor diagnosed my dad has a Stage III pancreatic cancer from his CT scan (as attached). But another doctor suggests that my dad has chronic pancreatitis or a benign pancreatic tumor based on his CT scan and medical history.

How do you differentiate a benign pancreatic tumor from a malignant one?The doctor who diagnosed him with a malignant tumor did not want to perform a biopsy since they think it’s inoperable. They put him on radiation therapy now.My dad lost 12 Lbs over last 7 months. He is in pain, but not as severe as back in October. The pain is tolerable. He still remains his routine, does his own grocery and cooks meal for my mom and himself every day. He did lost appetite, but has been picked up recently.

The second question is that the pain for pancreatic cancer patient is progressive over the course or could be alleviate after the first bout.I have attached his CT scan here. Please help.

CT scan can be viewable by clicking the following link
{link deleted by Admin per forum policy}

I also can be reached at jassieruan@yahoo.com

Thanks for all your help!

LucyInTheSky · Regular Joined: 20 Jan 2009 Posts: 14

Hi Wanderzz,

I can tell you what my mom experienced...
Back in November of 2008, she experienced some back pain that radiated to her left side and through to the abdominal area. It was so bad that she had to take pain medication. She went to her family doctor who referred her for some rather irrelevant (from the current perspective) exams, being 100% that my mom either just pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve in her back. Mom managed the pain with rest and lots of pain killers. It was only really bad for about a week, then started to get better early in December.

My mom also has Scleroderma and goes for rather extensive exams (abdominal US, CT, blood work) every 6 months. Her blood work showed elevated CA125 tumor markers, repeat testing confirmed CA125 and also showed CEA to be elevated as well.
The doctor immediately suspected ovarian cancer but nothing was found. Finally, mom was admitted early in January for detailed testing which revealed a mass on her pancreas.
The mass on her pancreas is still the same size. Mom hasn't really experienced any more of that pain that we now know was from her pancreas, but she now has numerous mets on her liver and lots of pain due to distention of the liver and enlarged epigastric lymphnodes.
Like you, I do sometimes wonder if that mass on her pancreas is there because of the acute pancreatitis she experienced in November of last year, but in reality, her CA19-9 is above 10,000 and all the doctors, surgeons and oncologists are convinced that pancreas is the site of the primary tumor...
I should also mention that the biopsy of the liver mets tissue revealed no presence of CA19-9, also a cytopunction of the mass on pancreas was performed and came back as negative.
The only thing that convinced me that it is indeed pancreatic cancer, despite the fact that doctors were telling us that all along, is the speed and ferocity with which it attacked her liver, the mets can not possibly be counted as you can't really tell where one ends and another begins.
My mom also has a family history of chronic pancreatitis. Mom's sister has had two surgeries on her pancreas to remove the scars formed by acute pancreatitis some 20 years ago, and is alive and well today.
Mom's brother also lived with chronic pancreatitis his whole life before succumbing to throat cancer.
Sorry if I didn't really answer any of your questions, but I saw many similarities in your story with my mom's story and wanted to share...
I wish you and your father all the best and lots of strength for whatever comes your way...

wanderzz · New User Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 2

Thanks LucyInTheSky to share the story. We are trying all our best to help my father go through this hard time.

I have updated the following link with more info including other opinions. Could any experts please take a look at it and give your comments.

{link deleted by admin. Policy states that you cannot post links to external site until you have been a member for at least one month and posted at least 10 significant posts. }

Thanks a lot!

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