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How Does Chemotherapy Help In Treating Pseudomyxoma Peritonei?
Question: I have been suggested to go surgery to remove PmP if they are many. If not , an option for infustion of chemotherapy agent called mitomycin in abdomen.
how does it work, is this aggressive form of treatment, I am scare of the big operation which involve a 10 hour operation to remove small volume of disease. I am thinking of watchful waiting as I hopefully it will go away or it will go on remission. I only have a small volume in subdiaphramic region. Please advise what to do next as this a very rare disease and could be thinking that the my doctor just want to make money for this massive surgery. I have a citiscan and blood test done, found nothing of cancer, only when I did the laporoscopic exploration they found this small volume of disease. It means to say if I did not have the laporoscopic test, I would not know and will have peace of mind.
how does it work, is this aggressive form of treatment, I am scare of the big operation which involve a 10 hour operation to remove small volume of disease. I am thinking of watchful waiting as I hopefully it will go away or it will go on remission. I only have a small volume in subdiaphramic region. Please advise what to do next as this a very rare disease and could be thinking that the my doctor just want to make money for this massive surgery. I have a citiscan and blood test done, found nothing of cancer, only when I did the laporoscopic exploration they found this small volume of disease. It means to say if I did not have the laporoscopic test, I would not know and will have peace of mind.
Brief Answer:
3 cycles of chemotherapy with mitomycin
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare, usually slow growing, cancer of the appendix.
Since you are having small volume of disease and you do not want to undergo surgery i would advise chemotherapy drug mitomycin in your case.
The drug can be given intravenous route at 21 days interval for 3 cycles. It will not cure the cancer but can be used to slow it down.
The drug works by sticking the cancer cells DNA together so that it cannot come apart again. The cell cannot divide so the cancer cannot grow.
Mitomycin causes side effects such as nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite which can be easily managed with antiemetic agents and appetite stimulants.
Atleast 3 cycles needs to be taken followed by CT scan of whole abdomen for reassessment of the disease.
The chemotherapy agent has response rate of 65% and prevents the tumour from spreading more and reduces the load of the disease further.
Regards
DR DE
3 cycles of chemotherapy with mitomycin
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare, usually slow growing, cancer of the appendix.
Since you are having small volume of disease and you do not want to undergo surgery i would advise chemotherapy drug mitomycin in your case.
The drug can be given intravenous route at 21 days interval for 3 cycles. It will not cure the cancer but can be used to slow it down.
The drug works by sticking the cancer cells DNA together so that it cannot come apart again. The cell cannot divide so the cancer cannot grow.
Mitomycin causes side effects such as nausea and vomiting and loss of appetite which can be easily managed with antiemetic agents and appetite stimulants.
Atleast 3 cycles needs to be taken followed by CT scan of whole abdomen for reassessment of the disease.
The chemotherapy agent has response rate of 65% and prevents the tumour from spreading more and reduces the load of the disease further.
Regards
DR DE
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj
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