Thanks for the clarification
Hi,
If I understand correctly, your father underwent scanning for abdominal pain, during which liver lesions were found. Doctors suspected that this could be cancer. From the scan pictures they suspected that the primary cancer lay elsewhere and had spread to the liver.
Your question is how can the doctors be sure, what is the quickest way to confirm the diagnosis, and is a biopsy essential.
Well, the clinical situation that occured in your fathers case is quite common. scan images of a primary liver cancer are usually quite different from images of liver metastases. (A metastasis is a cancer that has spread to a distant organ). This raises the suspicion of a primary cancer lying elsewhere.
A biopsy is essential to confirm the diagnosis of cancer.
One quick way to locate the primary would be to perform a PET-CT scan. Along with that, a set of blood tests for tumor markers (CEA, AFP, CA19-9, PSA) and other parameters (HBsAg, HCV, LFT) should be ordered.
Pl consult a medical oncologist for a detailed discussion.
All the best, and God Bless!