Primary Peritoneal Cancer Guide

What is peritoneal adenocarcinoma? Well, Adeno is a prefix that means “gland.” Adenocarcinoma is a malignancy that appears in the glandular cells that line certain internal organs and have glandular properties. The majority of breast, colon and prostate cancers are adenocarcinomas. The peritoneal membrane is the smooth, transparent membrane that lines the abdominal cavity and contains the internal organs of the abdomen. The peritoneum is the membrane that surrounds most of the organs of the abdomen. It consists of a layer of mesentery resting on a thin layer of connective tissue. Through the development of a lubricating fluid, peritoneum helps organs move smoothly into the abdomen. This tumor is very rare.

Peritoneal cancer looks and behaves like ovarian cancer, but the ovaries are minimally involved. Women that developed ovarian cancer after having their ovaries removed probably will suffer from peritoneal cancer. Tumors of the appendix that produce mucous are very rare. Mucinous adenocarcinoma is a cancerous tumor of the appendix and it’s the most common type of cancer of the appendix. Some tumor cells may also settle in parts of the abdomen and pelvis. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer developed by exposure to asbestos. This cancer develops in the abdomen, in the peritoneal area. The symptoms may not appear until many years later.

The peritoneal adenocarcinoma is easily spread through all the organs found in the pelvic area such as the bowel, pancreas, liver and other organs causing metastasis. Another example where ovarian cancer was not the primary organ being affected by metastasis from another site. Another part that may also affect the uterus is the endometrium which has two layers and the myometrium which is the outer layer of muscle. This thick layer of muscle is needed to push the baby out during childbirth. The tissue covering the outside of the uterus is called the serosa. This metastatic ovarian tumor is given the name of Krukenberg tumor, caused by the spread of stomach cancer. When treating the secondary metastatic tumor its origin should also be treated. Since the Krukenberg tumor is a secondary tumor, management of the tumour must involve finding and treating the primary cancer. In general, most cases of this tumor have a poor prognosis and radical operation such as removal of the ovaries can improve survival only in cases of solitary ovarian metastasis or local extended disease. Cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy before surgery may be used to shrink the tumor and facilitate its removal.

If the appearance of a pelvic tumor, then coincides with pregnancy it poses a major problem for the obstetrician/gynecologist in differential diagnosis and the therapeutic approach to take. The specialist should always inform the patient of different therapeutic possibilities, as well as the risks and benefits that may result from them. In summary we can say that the peritoneal covers a large area and the peritoneal adenocarcinoma is very harmful to the human body and brings too many complications at the abdominal cavity.