My father is a type 2 diabetic, suffers from high blood pressure, a long history of stomach ulcers, and osteo-arthritis. Several years ago, he over-medicated himself with a drug designed to control the pain associated with osteo-arthritis. The drug ate a hole in his duodenum, and he had to be rushed to the hospital because of the profuse bleeding that resulted from the perforation of his duodenal ulcer.
Two years ago, he had a terrible pain that wouldn't go away, and like most men of my father's generation who lives alone, he suffered in silence without bothering to explain to anyone what he was going through and he wouldn't see a doctor about it. Why? Because he thought it was one of his old ulcers acting up. When the pain became agonizing, he finally went to the emergency room of a nearby hospital.
It turned out that his problem wasn't an ulcer. Rather, it was an inflamed gall bladder. But the gall bladder was in such terrible condition by then, that it had to be removed in pieces. When the biopsy results came back, it tested positive for cancer. As a result of the surgery, the remaining cancerous cells spread to other parts of his body. He now has cancer in the liver and duodenum.
His doctor told him he couldn't give him chemotherapy or radiation because the cancer that settled in his duodenum took root at the site of the old ulcer in his duodenum. So, he now has a cancerous bleeding ulcer in his duodenum.
Has anyone ever encountered someone with a cancerous, bleeding duodenal ulcer? If yes, what treatment did his/her doctor recommend?
I'm desperate. Since the ulcer is bleeding, he gets anemic and must go in periodically for blood transfusions.
Help me to help my father.