multiple tumors in pancreas/stomach, help?

[msr9]

Hello, I am in a very precarious situation right now. My father was admitted to the ER on friday with an acute pancreatitis, it was all well until further tests revealed a mass in his stomach or pancreas. After sleepless nights we finally got the MRI results back, he has 7 apparent tumors, one even being 17 cm long, also in liver and kidney. The first doctor gave us a grim prognosis, practically assuring he had days to live. A family friend who had a similar situation said "thats what metastasis looks like, it happened to my father". I am very mentally ill, and on several medications to treat a dissociative disorder, psychotic depression, anxiety and anorexia amongst other things, needless to say all that info left me incredibly shaken and devastated. Later, an oncologist was called. Him and the other doctor got into a heated argument over my dad's condition. After inquiring, i found out he doesnt even think its cancer (at least not the 17cm mass), he even gave us the name of another condition that COULD cause several tumor like massses (does such a thing even exist? it sounded too good to be true), but he couldnt be sure until blood results come back. Do benign tumors spread? can they grow as big and hurt as much as my dad's, even causing pancreatitis? can they multiply? i really wish someone could give me some peace of mind that my dad won't die overnight like I was told by some. Thank you  so much.

[Buckeye419]

Yes, such a thing does exist. I am assuming what the doctor is referring to is Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia? If so, most of the tumors are benign, but some do cause problems with certain hormones. I would be interested to know the outcome.

[Angeljuan71]

Is your dad still with us?  If so, I totally agree w/piparskeggr, time for a second opinion and i would go to Cancer Treatment Center, my husband is a 4 year pancreatic/liver cancer survivor because of them - between CTCA and our Heavenly Father he is still alive.  Please respond

[Piparskeggr]

I hope your dad is still with us.

I am a pancreatic cancer patient, but was not even close to what they found in your dad.

If you dad IS hanging on, 2nd opinion time.  The tumor like masses could be cysts, or ascites (which are pockets of liquid).

And yes,  benign tumors can grow, my sister had a rather large one removed from her uterus several years ago.