Hello Priscilla22 and thanks for posting,

I am sorry to learn about your mother in law and can understand this is a stressful time for the whole family. 

MRIs and CTS can pick up anatomical abnormalities and I think there are times when the appearance of whatever is seen is so characteristic of cancer that the doctors can be sure this is the diagnosis. 

Unfortunately cancer can spread. The first cancer that develops is called the primary cancer and if a cancer spreads to form new cancerous tumours elsewhere in the body, these are called secondary cancers.

Sometimes secondary cancers are detected on scans before anyone knows they have a primary cancer and the primary cancer may be detected after the secondary cancers. However sometimes the site of the primary cancer isn't obvious - a very small cancer might not be seen on a scan - and sometimes it remains unknown even after more or other types of  tests are done. There is a condition called cancer of unknown primary or CUP for short when the primary cancer is never detected.    

Biopsies can help to identify what type of cancer someone has, but this is not always as straightforward as it seems. I think it can depend on the type of cell the cancer developed in and how abnormal it has become. Also there are a few occasions when it can be very challenging to get a good enough sample of tissue in a biopsy to be able to analyse it. And there may be some situations when the doctors don't think biopsy results would change they way they want to manage things, so they may decide a biopsy isn't needed.

I wondered if perhaps there are more tests and possibly a biopsy to come and if the doctors are telling your mother in law as much information as they can for now, but they hope to able to tell her more soon. 

It may help to talk this over so do give us a call if you want to. Our number is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open 9-5 weekdays.

Best wishes,

Julia