ultrasound leads to liver lesions leads to ct scan next day

[sherrie545]

my dad has just been told that he has liver lesions and that he is getting booked for a ct scan tomorrow. this cant be good can it?

for two years my dad has been having pains in his chest. he thought he was having problems with his heart. the drs. never found anything. a ouple months ago he started to pass out at work and would be dripping wet with swet. he has lost over 30lbs, nausious, vomiting, not hungry, pains in his abdomen, in and out of hospitals, test after test. he had an ultra sound done today and the tech asked him if he still has his gull bladder...which he does. (he also has an enlarged stomach) then the drs phone tonight and they say he has liver lesions and needs to have a ct scan tomorrow..... who gets a ct scan in a day..... unless it is not good at all. oh dear i am so worried..... is there anything he can be doing to help his liver..... he eats very healthy, he is very active (farmer), he doesnt smoke.
ps while he was in the hospital he had a gasonomitry?? scope thing done. they said there was some swelling and redness... i cant remember where. so they put him on iv, anti biotics, and heavey pain killers.
he is still on the anti biotics and now sleeping pills to sleep at night.... due to pain. i hate seeing the strongest man in my life wither away... its so frightening!!!

[sherrie545]

he has had a ultrasound, scope, gasonomitry, ct scan, blood biopsy of the liver tumor, now a core biopsy. i guess they couldnt determine the type of cancer from the first biopsy.
Did the doctor explain the pathology of the biopsy?
not that i am aware of
What did they find that made them decide the liver tumor was malignant,
thats a good question
and did they biopsy the non-tumorous tissue of your father's liver to look for other signs of disease?
i dont think so.
test results are a good idea to have.... thx

[sherrie545]

Cirrhosis: Cirrhosis is a serious disease that develops when liver cells are damaged and replaced with scar tissue. Many exposures cause cirrhosis, including HBV or HCV infection, heavy alcohol use, too much iron stored in the liver, certain drugs, and certain parasites. Almost all cases of liver cancer in the United States occur in people who first had cirrhosis, usually resulting from hepatitis B or C infection, or from heavy alcohol use.

so is this saying that the cancer could have been a cause of having beaver feaver for so long?

Studies into the long term effects of giardiasis have not been thoroughly conducted, however, due to inflammation and scarring occurring commonly with giardiasis, possible effects include long term weight loss, malnutrition, failure to thrive, lactose intolerance, as well as chronic inflammation of intestinal lining leading to various forms of cancer. For immunocompromised individuals, these effects can be and often are deadly
doing more research online.

[eureka254]

Easy bruising and poor clotting could be an indication of liver disease, or liver dysfunction from the presence of the tumor.  The higher likelihood when a cancer is seen in the liver is that originated elsewhere, but that is not always the case. It would be important to ask your father's physician why he is diagnosing Metastatic if there is no primary tumor elsewhere.  Again, normal AFP does NOT exclude primary liver cancer.

Did the doctor explain the pathology of the biopsy? What did they find that made them decide the liver tumor was malignant, and did they biopsy the non-tumorous tissue of your father's liver to look for other signs of disease?  Those pieces of information may be helpful in looking for answers, and it's a good idea to ask for copies of your father's reports if you go with him to appointments.

Has your father had bone scans, abdominal scans, or other imaging?  Did he have any CT-Scans that included contrast to further differentiate the liver tumor? It would be concerning if the doctor is making a definitive diagnosis of metastatic liver cancer if he hasn't found the primary site.  If you have concerns or doubts, it's worthwhile to consider seeking a second opinion.  If you suspect your father might have Primary liver cancer, the best place for him to be diagnosed is a large teaching hospital with a Transplantation Center.  

[sherrie545]

i do belive it was the AFP test that his count was 14.
beaver feaver is also known as gardias.... it is from contaminated water from feces (not sure if thats the right spelling). he could have gotten it from hunting in the mountains or working on the ranch.
do you know if it is normal for someone who doesnt bruise easily/ fast healer to have a bruise for 2 weeks from intravenus needle? dads bruise is still black.
how is it possible that he has cancer elsewhere when none of the scans has picked it up? according to the dr. the primary place of cancer is very bad but unseen??????
is it possible that the doc has made a misdiagnosis??? nothing seems to add up. or maybe its not suposed to
thanks for the info and support... again

[eureka254]

I'm very sorry to hear about your difficulties, and I'll try to help make some sense of what it seems docs are saying.
There are two different *types* of liver cancer.  Primary Liver Cancer, and Metastatic Liver Cancer.  Primary liver cancer is less common than metastatic, and what it sounds like is that your father's doctors are saying they suspect the tumor in the liver is Metastatic, meaning it got there because of a cancer elsewhere in the body.  
There are many different kinds of "liver counts", so I do not know if your father's "14" was the AFP test or not, but even if it was, AFP is not always present in high levels for Primary Liver Cancer, so having a normal AFP does not distinguish between Primary and Metastatic liver cancer.
The reason it's important to know the difference, though, is because treatment varies for different cancers and where they are located.
I'm not familiar with the term "beaver feaver" ?!?... but if he is retaining fluid and having abdominal swelling, infection is not unusual in that kind of situation, so that was probably the reason for the antibiotics.  I hope that helps some... I know you and your family must be going through a most terrible time... just love and care for your dad the best you can, ask his doctors all the questions you need to, and be strong.  

[sherrie545]

oh and ps. a couple weeks ago they also told dad that he had beaver feaver and put him on anti-biotics. geez he sure has had alot to battle but i fear the worst is yet to come.

[sherrie545]

oh and thanks for the support. it is very kind of you two to wish us / my dad good health.
thanks again for the kind honest words.

[sherrie545]

so dad went in for a biopsy a couple weeks ago, but b4 they could do the biopsy they had to remove fluid from around his stomach....3.5 quarts. they tested the fluid and it is cancer free. we got the biopsy results today. its malignent. he is going in for a core biopsy tomorrow. the doctors belive that there is a primary source but they cant find it. they think the fluid is from the primary source and thats it its bad. they also told dad that depending on if there is a primary source that there is nothing they can do.
none of this makes sense!! his liver count is normal, his something i cant remember what is low.. 14 and when ppl have cancer the count is normally in the 100's to 1000's. the cancer specialist doesnt know why.
everything is so confusing and very hard to swollow.
another horrible day... what next??? feels like the world is crashing down and theres nothing i can do to stop it....    :,(

[eureka254]

The large majority of liver lesions are benign; I very much hope that is the case for your dad; the CT scan could give you and your father important information, and as katycat said, it's part of the diagnosis process.  

The fact that your father has had other problems and continues to do so is concerning. Does he drink alcohol?  Has he ever been tested for hepatitis? The CT Scan may also give some information about the enlarged stomach and chest pain... I hope the test gives you and your dad good information. Stay strong... your father is lucky to have a daughter who cares about him.  Good luck to your dad and your family. ~eureka

[katycat79]

It is not unusual at all to be scheduled for a CT within 24 hours. It is part of the process in trying to diagnose what is going on with your Dad. At least they are doing things quickly so you don;t have to be in limbo too long waiting for a diagnosis.Hang in there!