Dr. Johnson sighed and adjusted his sses. “Well… I doubt he was hoping for an abnormality in his CA19-9 levels.”


    The private doctor, who had just been smiling, suddenly froze.


    After a moment of shock, he blurted out, “What did you just say about an abnormal CA19-9 index? Are you kidding me?”


    As Hank’s personal doctor, he was well-versed in various critical health markers. CA19-9 is a carbohydrate antigen,monly known as a tumor marker. There are many types of tumor markers, each often linked to cancer in different parts of the body.


    In most cases, if a person is cancer-free, all tumor markers should remain within the normal range.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    However, once a tumor marker bes abnormal, there is a high probability that cancer is present.


    Of course, an abnormal marker doesn’t guarantee a cancer diagnosis with 100% certainty, but the likelihood is significant.


    CA19-9, in particr, is closely associated with digestive system cancers, such as pancreatic and gastric cancer, and is highly sensitive.


    If this marker is abnormal, there’s a strong chance of a digestive system malignancy.<fnaeb4> For original chapters go to find~novel</fnaeb4>


    His voice turned urgent. “What is Mr. Hank’s CA19-9 level this time?”


    Dr. Johnson hesitated before answering, “628…”


    “What the hell did you just say?!”


    The private doctor felt a wave of dizziness. The normal limit for CA19-9 is 37. Anything above that suggests a problem. The higher the number, the greater the risk.


    Hank’s CA19-9 had skyrocketed to 628. Based on his experience, this was almost certainly pancreatic cancer.


    He quickly asked, “What was Mr. Hank’s CA19-9 level three months ago?”


    Dr. Johnson replied, “Three months ago, it was 12…”


    Cold sweat formed on the private doctor’s forehead. “In just three months, it’s increased dozens of times… That’s way too fast.”


    Dr. Johnson nodded. “It’s extremely fast, but not unheard of for pancreatic cancer. Some cases progress so rapidly that patients don’t survive more than a few months. Compared to the most aggressive cases, Mr. Hank’s progression is still above average, but not the worst.”


    “f*ck…” The private doctor asked anxiously, “Should we do a full-body scan to determine the size of the lesion and check if it has spread?”


    Dr. Johnson nodded. “Yes. Who’s going to tell Mr. Hank—you or me? We need to exin the situation clearly. Once we have his consent, we’ll arrange for a nurse to administer the contrast agent and proceed with the scan immediately.”


    “I’ll tell him…” the private doctor muttered. “If you do it, I’m afraid he won’t be able to handle the shock.”


    With that, he hurried back to Hank’s ward.


    At that moment, Hank was lying on the bed, casually chatting nonsense in the group chat with his friends.


    Seeing the private doctor return, he grinned and asked, “So? What’s the situation?”


    The private doctor hesitated, unsure of how to break the news. After an awkward cough, he finally said, “Mr. Hank… well… one of your indicators came back abnormal…”


    “Oh?” Hank’s face lit up with excitement. He immediately sat up and said with a grin, “Which one? Tell me quickly—I need some good news!”