I'm not so sure about that, Toby. I question whether that's a nice reassuring statement to get you out of the surgery. They may have recommended testing but did which? Did they say? You are now saying you want a more invasive test that the one you were sure about before so if they don't offer you that where does that leave you?
Your last statement. That can be true for certain cancers but the thing is, those people felt perfectly fine as they had no symptoms. Symptoms come once it advances and by then you are into seeing your health start to deteriorate. At that point it's quick. But getting them spotted by chance pre-symptom onset is because they had a test for something and it was found and that is not your scenario as you have been having symptoms for quite some time now. So, by the logic of your "sneaky" statement you aren't one them as you had already got symptoms and it would have been "sneaky" prior to this meaning by the time you developed symptoms (purely by your own logic) it had now become late stage...and yet you have gone how many more months with no cancer treatment and you are not only alive but able to even get to doctor's appointments without I'm guessing walking aids, wheel chairs, and you are on here when many would just be struggling to get through staying awake or eating.