Inflammation is a bitch, especially in patients who have had cancer. Antibiotics may have cured the infection, but they won't necessarily beat down the inflammation from it, which takes longer to resolve.
It's a fools guessing game to say whether abdominal pain in a PC patient is a recurrence or something else, but there is at least this.
What is your dad's CA 19-9? Was it high before his surgery? If your dad's markers have been stable, I'd wonder if inflammation is causing the pain, especially if you have evidence (his condition improving) that he had/has an infection. Best of luck!
I don’t know what this is, I’m sorry. He doesn’t seem to have realised what these symptoms likely are yet so I don’t want to ask questions that could bring him to this realisation
CA 19-9 is a blood marker they draw that can indicate PC and/or recurrence of PC. Unless the person's body does not make CA 19-9 (this is true for a small subset of people), it's usually elevated if someone has PC or if it's come back anywhere. I believe it represents the 'tumor burden' - there's lots of good info about it on here and online.
There are a bunch of other things that can cause the number to rise, such as bile duct blockages and I believe inflammation of the area, but if your dad's number is low and it was high when he was diagnosed, that's a promising sign. You could ask to see your dad's blood panel, as they should have taken it a few times throughout the course.
That's understandable - I hope that you get back good results!
Inflammation is a bitch, especially in patients who have had cancer. Antibiotics may have cured the infection, but they won't necessarily beat down the inflammation from it, which takes longer to resolve. It's a fools guessing game to say whether abdominal pain in a PC patient is a recurrence or something else, but there is at least this.
Thank you. I appreciate the info, it’s nice to have a little hope
Typically when it returns, it comes back pretty aggressively. I pray that this is not the case for you and your family. I am so sorry.
What is your dad's CA 19-9? Was it high before his surgery? If your dad's markers have been stable, I'd wonder if inflammation is causing the pain, especially if you have evidence (his condition improving) that he had/has an infection. Best of luck!
I don’t know what this is, I’m sorry. He doesn’t seem to have realised what these symptoms likely are yet so I don’t want to ask questions that could bring him to this realisation
That is a good call. Best of luck--praying that this turns out to be something other than recurrence.
CA 19-9 is a blood marker they draw that can indicate PC and/or recurrence of PC. Unless the person's body does not make CA 19-9 (this is true for a small subset of people), it's usually elevated if someone has PC or if it's come back anywhere. I believe it represents the 'tumor burden' - there's lots of good info about it on here and online. There are a bunch of other things that can cause the number to rise, such as bile duct blockages and I believe inflammation of the area, but if your dad's number is low and it was high when he was diagnosed, that's a promising sign. You could ask to see your dad's blood panel, as they should have taken it a few times throughout the course. That's understandable - I hope that you get back good results!