Primary Peritoneal Cancer
Primary peritoneal cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer. All women should arm themselves with at least the basic information available about the five major gynaecological cancers (cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, and vulva). The more information you know about these diseases and their symptoms, the higher your rate of survival because almost any cancer can be treated if spotted early. Now you’ll get to know about primary peritoneal cancer which goes hand to hand with ovarian cancer metastasis. It’s a disease that originates in the ovaries. The ovaries are reproductive glands found only in women that produce ovum for reproduction. The ovum travels through the fallopian tubes toward the uterus where it is fertilized and implants developing into a foetus. In addition, the ovaries are the main source of female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone. One ovary is located on either side of the uterus in the pelvis. The ovaries contain three types of tissues:
- Epithelial cells, which cover the ovary.
- Germ cells are found inside the ovary. These cells formed the ovum that is released into the fallopian tubes every month.
- Stromal cells, which produce the greatest amount of female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.
Many types of tumors can start growing in the ovaries. In general, ovarian tumors are named according to the type of cells that caused the tumour and whether it’s benign or malignant (cancerous). There are three main types of ovarian tumors named as the tissues:
- Epithelial tumors arise from cells lining the outer surface of the ovary. Most ovarian tumors are epithelial cell tumors.
- Germ cell tumors arise from cells that produce ovum.
- Stromal tumors originate from connective tissue cells that hold the ovary.
Cancerous epithelial tumors are called carcinomas. Approximately 85-90% of ovarian cancers are epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Results have shown that asbestos exposure causes a wide range of health conditions, including mesothelioma, a deadly cancer that attacks the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen. So if it attacks the abdomen it will also most likely attack the peritoneal area. Primary peritoneal cancer is a rare cancer closely associated with epithelial ovarian cancer. At surgery, this looks like carcinoma epithelial ovarian cancer that has spread through the abdomen.
Other names for this cancer include extra ovarian primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma (outside the ovary) or serous surface papillary carcinoma. It originates in the cells lining the pelvis and abdomen. The lining is called the peritoneum. These cells are very similar to the cells on the surface of the ovaries. Like ovarian cancer, PPC tends to spread through the surfaces of the pelvis and abdomen, so it is often difficult to know exactly where the cancer originated.
The symptoms are similar to the symptoms of ovarian cancer, including abdominal pain or swelling, nausea and vomiting, indigestion and a change in bowel habits. In general, women with primary peritoneal cancer receive the same treatment as women with ovarian cancer that has spread widely and the prognosis is probably similar. These treatments for cervical cancer could include surgery to remove as much cancer as possible, followed by chemotherapy like the one given for ovarian cancer. After treatment you will have a follow-up appointment to assess whether primary peritoneal cancer treatment has resulted in any additional difficulties or new symptoms.