Hi there
We have been faced with a situation about our mum. She was found to have a tumour in her leg which caused the bone to break. A biopsy was taken and it was found to be metastatic carcinoma of unknown origin.
We were told that she also had some dark area in her lung that came on quite quickly and was noticed in a check up x-ray. No further investigation was done.
So - I would like to know how is a tumour diagnosed as being primary or metastatic? How do you know?
Mum was referred to a cancer of unknown origin team and who have since come back and said the cancer in the bone was primary. And she doesn't have any cancer anywhere else.
Which in itself sounds like a really dangerous thing to say.
As the cancer was diagnosed as being secondary there was not deemed to be a need to have additional chemo.
so actually we do not know if there is any other cancer in her body.
So my logical brain says - what was it about the biopsy that said this is secondary?
How can one team of people tell her she is dying and the other one say that nope, your tumour was primary.
Please help me understand this.
thank you.
