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Is this really cancer? Any GP's around?

4 replies

glass3quartersfull · 16/09/2018 16:40

My dear mum has dementia and cannot speak, toilet, walk or feed herself. A few months ago she became jaundiced but it resolved itself after a course of antibiotics. Then she developed sores all over her body that itched and blistered, again this resolved itself with steroid cream and antihistamine.
After bloods were taken where GP said they were 'abnormal' and a physical exam where he said he could feel the liver was enlarged the GP thinks she has a secondary cancer in her liver. She's too advanced with dementia for her to have any scans or anything in order to be sure.
The resolution of the skin issue seemed to also coincide with her having a catheter fitted as she had started retaining urine - she's still catheterised but the skin issue and jaundice is now over.
So, apart from the catheter being in permanently she's now the same as before, so, I can't understand how this can be cancer? Surely she'd have permanent jaundice? The skin sores wouldn't have resolved? She eats a blended diet just fine and doesn't appear to have lost any weight, she's still quite large.
I'm not trained but she doesn't look like a cancer patient to me, so what could it be? Jaundice and skin sores / itching does point to the liver but why would they suddenly resolve? Could the catheter being fitted have helped? Any ideas please? It's all very confusing and it's hard to mentally prepare ourselves just not knowing.

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 19/09/2018 22:57

Just bumping this for you in case anyone can help.

I’m not medical at all but can sympathise with you worrying about your mum.

PlonkyPlink · 19/09/2018 23:05

GP here. Sorry your mums but we’ll. It’s always really hard to comment on complicated cases. But people can have cancer and not be losing weight And look completely normal to an outsider.

Your best bet is probably arranging a phone call or appointment with her GP and asking these questions. Write a list down of issues you want to discuss.

Flowers
PlonkyPlink · 19/09/2018 23:05

Sorry typo....not well.

Couchpotato3 · 19/09/2018 23:07

If your Mum isn't well enough to tolerate any scans or investigations, then it's going to be very hard to find out exactly what is going on. There are many many reasons for an enlarged liver, and secondary cancer is only one of them. One possibility is that she had a gallstone that temporarily caused a blockage of her common bile duct, that then passed through into her gut. Or she could have had hepatitis. Anything is possible. If the jaundice has gone away and she is otherwise well, it seems extremely unlikely to be cancer. It is horrible living with uncertainty, but given your Mum's dementia, you are probably not going to get to the bottom of this, and it's probably best to just take things as they come, and be glad that she's better from the jaundice and skin sores. She could well have had a urine infection as well that caused the retention.

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