I need information of cancers of the appendix, I am told that it is a rare form!
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I am a survivor of appendiceal cancer. It is considered a form of colon cancer. The tumor I had was from the appendix to the colon, bladder and ovaries. It is often misdiagnosed . I was misdiagnosed 4 times. I went thru 6 weeks of chemo and radiation and then a 12 hour surgery at memorial sloan Kettering in NYC. They saved my life. If there is anything I could help you with feel free to email me.
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This should help.
Source(s):
http://www.pmppals.org/
it isn't as rare as people think. The problem with appendix cancer is that it is generally not found until it is quite advanced and presents with symptoms like appendicitis.
cancer research or cancerbacup should be able to help with information. But your best option is to speak to your local cancer network (yellow pages or ask at GP or Hospital) they tend to know everything and can support family, friends and the patient from start to finish.
Source(s):
www.cancerbacup.org.uk
www.cancerresearch.co.uk (I think this is right)
An estimated 1% (0.9%–1.4%) of all appendectomy specimens contain a neoplasm. The majority of appendiceal tumors are carcinoids, while the remaining 10% to 20% are mucinous cyst adenocarcinoma, adenocarcinoma, lymphosarcoma, paraganglioma, and granular-cell tumors. As expected, most present as acute appendicitis, and in some 40% of cases, the diagnosis is made after appendectomyIf a mass in the appendix is encountered incidentally during the course of abdominal surgery, an appendectomy is performed with frozen-section analysis of the mass. Most masses prove to be benign mucoceles or very small carcinoids. When carcinoid tumors of the appendix are small (<1 cm in diameter), they may be treated adequately by standard appendectomy. If they are greater than 2 cm in size, the patient should have a right hemicolectomy.
Treatment of appendiceal adenocarcinoma is a right hemicolectomy. Mucinous cystadenocarcinoma can be very difficult to manage.Treatment should be a right hemicolectomy and debulking of peritoneal implants.
Currently, the best results treating mucinous cyst-adenocarcinoma appear to be obtained with an aggressive combination of cytoreductive surgery, perioperative intraperiotneal chemohyperthermia, and early postoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy. These measures could provide 5-year and 10-year survival rates as high as 80% and 60%, respectively. If debulking is incomplete, the survival rates are markedly reduced to only 20% and 0%, respectively, and long-term survival cannot be achieved. This tumor can be indolent in its course, and patients commonly have multiple debulking surgeries before ultimately succumbing to their disease.Cancer of the appendix is an uncommon disease that is rarely suspected rarely before surgery. Although several case series of these tumors have been published, little research has been anchored in population-based data on cancer of the appendix.
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