My 86yrs old mom, vomited blood once last week.in er they said they see a growth in stomach but due to her advanced age don't want to do biopsy. did not vomit again? could it be cancer? how do i proceed

Family Medicine: Always one must go to and sit with their family physician. The er doctor is not the end all or final word on your mother's health. This is a very good example of why everyone needs a personal family doctor. Let the family doctor look at the reports and then offer the various options and their pros and cons before you give up on this one.

Autonomy rules: Be sure you have the real story. Your mother has a right to have a proper workup for what is likely a stomach cancer. It is standard-of-care to biopsy a suspicious mass, and only the patient can refuse. If a physician actually decided unilaterally not to biopsy it 'because she is old', talk to that physician's supervisor; hopefully it will not be necessary to get an attorney.