endoscopybiopsy

Hi everyone.My situation is this.I'm 56 years old.5 weeks ago,I went to a walk in clinic for burning pain in upper abdomen.they gave me prescription for nexium,took blood tests.next day they called and said I had to admit myself to the local hospital.my amylase and lypase were way high,but couldnt find the cause.2 days in the hosptial,upper and lower cat scans taken,ultra sound taken and no answer,only that I had acute pancreatitus and my pancreas slightly swollen.release me and said to see my own doctor.he took blood tests and the lypase was still high but the amylase went down but not to normal.he then referred me to a gastroenterologist.he had me get a mri.two days later,which was tuesday of last week,he called me in to tell me I had a mass at the head of my pancreas,but didnt say the size.he also noticed I had jaundice,which i had noticed about 4 days before that.his office set me up for an endoscopybiopsy this friday.that will make 5 weeks from the first time in the walk in clinic.why wouldnt the cat scans or ultra sound show anything,but the mri did.how fast can this mass grow.this jaundice is itching.could this mass be gall stones.probably not.my father had the same thing but it was gall stones blocking the pancreas so they removed his gall bladder.most cases of a mass at the head are cancerous,according to what i read.in case its not,would a whipple operation still be done.thank you.dennis

I have seen many stories of masses being missed, its a hard organ to view. What hospital did your CT scan?

 I have had an EUS and they are suppose to be a great diagnostic tool.

I know somebody who had stomach issues and the doctor saw a mass on his pancreas via a regular ultra sound, however, the CT was fine. He demanded another test and it turned out the ultrasound saw a shadowing of some sort, he had gastris not pc. The EUS will be able to provide much better information, and if it is PC if it is operable.

 Curious as to what facility you are being seen at, that can make a difference too from what I understand.

Have you had any other symptoms prior to this?

 It could just be pancreatitis as well.I have had pains since Feb with my lipase slightly elevated though tumor marker as well. So far they have not found anything in my scans but I am having another one next week. If this EUS that I have is clear, then it is likley chronic inflammation. I too have heard of people who have had pancreatitis and with their initial scan the drs said it was a mass. Think one lady on this board posted something of the sort in recent months.

 

I was admitted for two days at wuestoff hospital in rockledge florida.after released,the mri was then ordered from a gastroenterologist's office.it was done at the same office.now my endoscopybiopsy and ultrasound are going to be done at the florida hospital in orlando tomorrow.dennis

Whatever the results, you should go for a second opinion at a major pancreatic cancer hospital with a very experienced surgeon.  Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, for example.  If it is PC, you need the best of the best.  My husband's tests were all inconclusive, yet he had adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas (1.3 cm tumor) that didn't show on MRI, CAT, ultrasound, ERCP, EUS, etc.  He had jaundice and many other symptoms, though, and we saw 2 very experienced surgeons and both agreed that he needed the Whipple.  He is recovering nicely now.

Wow Nancy, I am stunned nothing showed on any of those tests. Did inflammation or any type of abnormality show? I especially thought the ERCP or EUS was a good diagnostic tool for visualization?

well,I went to the orlando hospital for my biopsy todyay and its cancerous.Looks like stage 2.hopefully a whipple will be done as soon as possible.after my encologybiopsy was performed I was released but before leaving another patient was too late so I went throught the same thing to have a blank put in my bile ducti to release the bilirubin because I was really jaundiced.tuesday cat scans are scheduled to check the blood vessels.dennis

My cat scan angeogram showed no spread to blood vessels but some spots on liver.I got a pet scan tuesday,3 days ago and no results yet.Today I go to h lee moffitt for second opinion with dr barthel.