Is it cancerous or binign?

My father, aged 64, complained of stomach ache and back ache around 20 days back. But the ache stopped in less than a week. He was diagnosed in 3 different hospitals. Intially with CT scan, it showed a mass in the pancreas and the pancreas had dilated to 9mm. Initial report suspected there could be malignancy in the pancreas and spread to liver as there was lesion found in the liver. After that, an EUS was done (Endoscopic Ultrasound) for biopsy. They could not take the correct biopsy, so the report said normal. All the pathological tests were normal, liver functioning was normal except CA 19.9 test showed 1975 count, which doctor says is very very high. They also suggested liver biopsy (ultrasound guided) but said the risk involved is high. The following 4 steps have been suggested by the doc.
1. Repeat EUS.
2. Liver biopsy (FNAC)
3. Laproscopic bipsy of the pancreas.
4. If none of the above get the correct diagnosis then open the abdomen and do the biopsy. Is it pancreaticcancer?

Few more details. FNAC done with CT scan and showed only mass but didn't detect malignancy. EUS didn't detect either. May be it must hv missed pancreas and only showing deodenum normalcy. Surpisingly he doesn't hv any pain now and appetite is ok. What are the risks invloved in above mentioned tests? How many more test do we hv to do? we've already done 3 times. Is there any other way of knowing whether it's binign or malignancy? Doc says if it was normal pancreatic cancer, it wudn't hv allowed pancreas to dilate but instead wud hv metastasized much faster. He says it wud hv been there for quite some time. If it's malignancy, qhat's the life span he's left with? Whats the best palittaive method? How do we prolong his painless life?
pls mention what are the risks involved in liver biposy and abdome opening for biopsy?

Unfortunately, the only way to really know if a tumor is malignant is by doing a biopsy. So, I think you need to sit down and calculate how important you believe the correct diagnosis will be in his case based on all the other pieces of the puzzle.

Incidentally, many cancers are asymptomatic . . there is no pain. My son had no symptoms until he was a stage IV with abdominal sarcoma. He still has had no pain associated with the cancer. So, do not be fooled by lack of pain. {Personally, I'd keep investigating this mass until you find out what it is}.

It is hard to answer your specific questions unless you speak with someone on here who has pancreatic cancer. The best people to ask are the people who have this disease. I can give you some links and suggest you join the support groups. They can answer your questions and guide you:

The Pancreatic Cancer Support & Information eCommunity
http://listserv.acor.org/archives/pancre...

NCI: Pancreatic Cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types...

Confronting Pancreatic Cancer
http://www.pancreatica.org/

John Hopkins Pancreas Cancer Discussions
http://www.pathology.jhu.edu/pancreas_ch...

Pancreatic Cancer Alliance
http://www.pancreaticalliance.org/

National Pancreas Foundation
http://www.pancreasfoundation.org/index....

American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/

Pancreatic cancer, primarily ductal adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 30,500 cases and 29,700 deaths in the US annually. Symptoms include weight loss, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Diagnosis is by CT. Treatment is surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Prognosis is poor because disease is often advanced at the time of diagnosis.
Please see the web pages for more details on Pancreatic carcinoma.

I think that what you've done is quite enough and if there was anything really wrong the doctors would of know it by now!
What I can suggest is to visit Nutritional Therapist and approve a new diet and lifestyle changes so your father can renew his liver functions ..detoxify and get healthy...what I mean is nothing found till now but make the immediate changes to prevent the worst!