My mom had small bowel cancer in August. They did a complete tumor resection and now she has pain in her lower left abdomin. They did bone scan and ct scans multiple and didnt see anything. Yesterday she went to see the surgeon and he didnt like the way her belly button area is swollen and sore. He thinks there may be a lump there and wants to remove it. Would abdominal ct scans show a cancerous tumor by her belly button or is it more likely a surgerical hernia? Is the belly button surgery difficult to recover from? Shes 83 years old.
Hi, Thanks for writing in. An abdominal CT scan is a detailed investigation and will surely show a lump in the umbilical region. CT scan takes detailed images using a concentration of X-rays using a computer. In this way the scans make thin sections through the abdomen and then these studied for any abnormality. If there is a lump that appears more with increased abdominal pressure then a surgical hernia is more likely. This happens when the muscles in the anterior abdominal wall are thinned out and separate or in the site of a previous surgery. Since she is having soreness therefore it can be a hernia. A CT scan will tell a hernia from a cancer lump. Please do not worry.