EDUCATIONIAL & SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES

APPENDIX CANCER

Visit ACPMP--Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation

When cells in the appendix begin to grow abnormally, they can form tumors. These tumors can be what is called benign which is non cancerous, or malignant which is cancerous. Considered a very rare and aggressive cancer, historically 1 or 2 people in a million receive a dagnoisis of appendix cancer, however recent data can be showing a higher instance in recent years.
There coud be no obvious symptoms in most stages of appendix cancer. Some symptoms that can be indicative are, lower right pain, bloating, gaining of width or girth, tighter feeling of pants in the waist area.
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COLON CANCER

Visit COLONTOWN DOWNTOWN- COLONTOWN® is a unique, online community of more than 120 “secret” neighborhoods, dedicated to the exclusive use of colorectal cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers.

Visit Colorectal Cancer Alliance- We empower a nation of allies who work with us to provide genuine support for patients and families, caregivers, and survivors; to raise awareness of preventive measures; and inspire efforts to fund critical research.

Colorectal cancer often begins as a growth called a polyp inside the colon or rectum. Finding and removing polyps can prevent colorectal cancer. Explore the links on this page to learn more about colorectal cancer prevention, screening, treatment, statistics, research, clinical trials, and more.
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SIGNET RING CELL ADENOCARCINOMA

Visit UH Hospitals -University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Research for patients with signet ring cell cancer, a rare but aggressive form of cancer that starts in glandular cells.

Visit The Michael P. Brown Colon Cancer Foundation-Promoting Signet Ring Colon Cancer Awareness- Angie Brown

Signet ring cell adenocarcinomas (SRCCs) are a rare histological subtype of adenocarcinomas with a poor prognosis, typically due to advanced disease at diagnosis. A signet ring cell, mimicking its moniker, contains abundant intracytoplasmic mucin that pushes the nucleus to the periphery.
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TREATMENT OPTIONS

Treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given by mouth, injection, or infusion, or on the skin, depending on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. It may be given alone or with other treatments, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or biologic therapy.
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) is a cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside your body, as with x-rays of your teeth or broken bones.
Surgery, when used to treat cancer, is a procedure in which a surgeon removes cancer from your body. Surgeons are medical doctors with special training in surgery.
Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps your immune system fight cancer. The immune system helps your body fight infections and other diseases. It is made up of white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system. Immunotherapy is a type of biological therapy. Biological therapy is a type of treatment that uses substances made from living organisms to treat cancer.

STAGING & GRADING SYSTEMS

There are several staging systems associated with different cancers.
The most common is the Numerical stage system.
TNM staging system describes tumor nearby tissue , lymph node and metastasis spread.
Grade System refers to the adnormalty of the cancer cells, compared to healthy cells.
Clinical and Pathological Staging. There is other terminology associated with other types of cancer, but we will use these staging systems to identify with the specific cancers we discuss here.

Stage 0 -cancer cells that are still in the location where they started and have not spread.
Stage I -localized cancer that has spread into nearby tissues, and has not yet spread to lymph nodes or other areas.
Stage II & III -cancer has spread to a regional area and/or more deeply into nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
Stage IV -cancer has spread to other organs or distant parts of the body. this stage is often referred to as advanced or metastatic cancer.
TNM Staging describes the amount and spread of cancer in the body.
It can describe certain cancers in greater detail.
T - describes the size and extent of the main tumor and any spread of cancer into nearby tissue.
N - describes the spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes.
M - describes the metastasis which is the spread of cancer to orher parts of the body.
Numbers are used after each to give greater detail.
Grade describes how similiar the cancer cells look to healthy cells.
Differentiated or low grade tumor describes cells that appear most like healthy cells.
Poorly differentiated or high grade tumor indicates more irreegular non healthy cells.
Grade 1 - These tumor cells look most like healthy cells. The term well- diffentiated tumors are considered low-grade.
Grade 2 - These cells are somewhat abnormal and referred to as moderately differentiated. These are intermediate grade tumors.
Grade 3- These cells look very adnormal. These are considered poorly differentiated since they no longer have an arhitectural structure or pattern. Grade 3 tumors are considered high grade.
Grade 4 - These have the most adnormal lookingcells. They are highest grade and typically spread faster than lower- grade tumors.
When a cancer is staged again after the first staging, it is referred to as restaging. Many times the same testing that was performed when the cancer was initially diagnosed, such as imaging tests, physical exams, biopsies are done again.
With the restaging, the new stage classification is added to the original but does not replace it. The stage assigned at diagnosis remains the most important one.

Non Medical Resources

Visit - Compass Oncology Blog Post-Life Insurance for Cancer Survivors