Peritoneal adenocarcinoma is a rare form of abdominal cancer that originates from epithelial tissue and spreads to other abdominal and pelvic organs. It is primarily found in women and has similar clinical features to ovarian cancer. The causes are unknown, but symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea, and fluid buildup. It can rapidly transform into carcinomatosis, but treatment with peritonectomy can improve survival rates.
Peritoneal adenocarcinoma is a type of abdominal cancer that begins within the lining of the peritoneum — the membrane that covers the inner wall of the abdominal cavity — and then spreads to other abdominal and pelvic organs. This cancer originates from epithelial tissue – or the tissue-forming membranes and linings in the body – and is characterized as epithelial cancer or carcinoma. It is an extremely rare form of epithelial cancer, however, even though these tumors comprise approximately 85% of all malignancies.
Medical references to this disease as a specific type of carcinoma began to appear in the 1950s. These references generally identify peritoneal adenocarcinoma occurring primarily in women, primarily women of childbearing age who have had their ovaries removed. The cancer has been found to have clinical features similar to carcinoma of the pelvic reproductive organs, such as ovarian cancer, despite the absence of the ovaries. Furthermore, it has generally been concluded that the cancer arises from the lining of the pelvis or abdomen instead of the ovaries.
Peritoneal adenocarcinoma has been termed primary peritoneal carcinoma, or PPCa, and is also known as primary extraovarian peritoneal carcinoma, or EOPPC, as well as primary peritoneal papillary serous adenocarcinoma. The cancer has also been thought to resemble peritoneal mesothelioma, however peritoneal mesothelioma has been identified more closely with a deadly type of cancer associated with asbestos, and EOPPC has not been linked to asbestos exposure.
The causes of peritoneal adenocarcinoma remain unclear. It is a recently recognized form of cancer, with unknown risk factors, and is still being defined by medical professionals, some of whom believe it may have previously been misdiagnosed as ovarian cancer. Others believe it could increase. Cancer centers that track statistics on cancer types and prevalence in the population currently estimate that EOPPC occurs at a ratio of approximately 1:10 ovarian cancer cases, and approximately 500 reports identifying peritoneal adenocarcinoma are on file such as the type of cancer .
Symptoms of peritoneal adenocarcinoma can include those similar to many other abdominal complaints, such as abdominal pain or discomfort, nausea, or a feeling of fullness. It was also found that about 85% of patients diagnosed with peritoneal adenocarcinoma had ascites or an unusual amount of fluid in the abdominal area. In laboratory tests, many of the patients had high levels of a tumor marker, called CA-125.
Peritoneal adenocarcinoma can rapidly transform into carcinomatosis. This means it can metastasize extensively or spread throughout the body to regions such as the liver and brain. Carcinomatosis is treated with an operation called a peritonectomy, which removes parts of the peritoneum, or stomach lining. This has been found helpful with regards to survival rates from this type of cancer.
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