colon cancer

my husband is blind, diabetic,double amputee,high blood pressure,incontinent,mostly wheel chair bound,thanks to agent orange if you remember the Viet Nam War  he went to his doctor and he ordered a CT Scan and Xray -of his belly and chest - well it came back with him having a apple core size lesion in his colon that has went to his liver which has lesions on it - plus it showed he had a slightley enlarged heart with water build up some on it - he doesnt realize how short of breath he gets after the health aid gets him out of shower - he is on lasix - the doctor didnt seem as concerned about his heart as he did his colon - but all his blood work came back good - his liver - everything - he seems to think beings all the blood work came back so good that he shouldnt rush to get a colonoscopy done - he says he doesnt have cancer because his blood work was good -now is this true for him to think this way - he is 63 years old and i am very concerned about him before you ask yes he does smoke - and he knows he should quit but thats what he likes to do-
what i really want to know is if all the blood work comes back ok does it mean he doesnt have cancer -the liver blood work was ok and everything else was to except his sugar -as being a diabetic

[Kamal S Saini, MD, MRCP (UK), DM]

Hi,
I am so sorry to hear about your husbands health issues.
Even if the blood reports are all normal, it does not rule out cancer. The only way to diagnose the colon mass and the liver lesions is to perform some sort of a biopsy - either colonoscopic or from the liver (under ultrasound or CT guidance).
If invasive procedures are to be avoided for any reason, then a PET scan or an MR spectroscopy may help determine the nature of the lesions.
Also, what is his CEA level?
Please continue to impress upon him the importance of quitting smoking.
All the best, and God Bless!

[debbyh1952123]

I dont know what his CEA level was all the doctor said was all his blood work was good - actually he was surprised that it was -i did have a copy but gave it to his health nurse that comes in to see him - i do have a copy of the report of the cat scan - and - xray- it did say on the report he had a 7.3x6x4.6cm in the right upper lobe of the liver near the dome it said a small amount of calcification is visable within it - the diagnostic possibilitys include both primary and metastic malignacies  i dont under stand all that maybe u can help me -
thank you
Debby

[Kamal S Saini, MD, MRCP (UK), DM]

Hi Debbie,
The CT report you mentioned has concluded that the mass is likely to be malignant - either primary or malignant. By primary, we mean that the tumor arose in the liver itself. By metastatic, we mean that the tumor arose at some distant site (for example the colon) and then spread to involve the liver.
Good luck!

[debbyh1952123]

so that means my husband has cancer? how long can he go without it being taken care of - he says he feels fine and no pain
Debby

[Kamal S Saini, MD, MRCP (UK), DM]

Hi,
Please remember that in medicine, there is a dictum that a diagnosis of cancer cannot be established without examining the tissue under a microscope. This means that the CT scan and other reports are merrely suggestive, not confirmatory. Please get an oncologists appointment, who may recommend a biopsy or an FNAC to confirm the diagnosis, and discuss various treatment options based on the results.
In general, the earlier treatment is begun for cancer, the better the clinical outcome.
All the Best!