The doctors gave us both good and bad news today. The bad news was that Dad definitely has cancer. The good news is that the PET scan was negative, which means that the cancer has not metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). While this was somewhat of a relief we still know that Dad most likely has a difficult road ahead. But he seems to be in good spirits and gearing up for a big fight.
The immediate concern is the blockage of his small intestine (the reason he keeps vomiting) that has been caused by pressure from the tumor located on the neck of his pancreas. Dr. Darwin performed an endoscopy procedure. This is basically a long tube inserted down his his esophagus to the location of the blockage (where the stomach meets the small intestine). The doctor was able to place a stent in the small intestine to alleviate the flow blockage and also take a biopsy, which will help them stage the cancer. This will help his future oncologist decide on the course of his treatment, which may include chemotherapy, radiation or a combination thereof.
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