12 feb, 98
Ken
I'm very sorry about your sister's condition. For openers, we are not
medical types, just folks who have run into the cancer scene and are trying to
support eachother as best we can.
First of all, yes people with adenocarcinomas do get cured. However, as I
understand it, adenocarcinoma is not a specific disease. I believe that Adeno
simply means "of the glans or organs", and carcinoma is, of course, carcinoma.
To get the info you seek, you need to know the specific type of cancer, and
it's source.
For example, assume that one has cholangio adenocarcinoma. To determine the
treatement, one has to know where it originated. For example, one can have
this start in the pancreas, move to the bile and liver systems and eventually
get into the lungs and lymph systems. It could start in the liver and
progress, etc. So, the treatement of the cancer is largely dependant on where
it originated. Liver adenocarcinoma would likely be treated differently from
kidney adenocrcinoma, if there is such a thing. So if cancer is detected in
the lungs, but the conclusion is that it originated in the pancreas, it is my
understanding, that although it is in the lungs, one would take the
treatements for pancreatic cancer.
Upon determining the origin, one can choose the treatement. Then one can then
get an assessment of the likelyhood of surviving. You will hear form everyone
on this net that attitude and the support structure for the patient are 98% of
the cure. Pharmacutical companies would argue somewhat, but it is very
important.
You are about to get many references to the National Institutes of health,
National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) with the phone number 1-800-4CANCER.
Yep, that is a great place to start. Also, they will direct you to the PDQ
pages where you can search for work being done in the specific "type" of
adenocarcinoma that your sister has. PDQ also tells about ongoing clinical
trials for emerging treatements. Have NCI send you their introductory
literature about clinical trials. I think you will find this very
informations. Also, have them send a listing of the ongoing trials. You'll
get the info in about 2 days.
Again, the source of the disease largely determines the approaches needed to
affect a cure.
Good luck Ken and sorry you needed to find this forem. But I hope we can
help.
VR Bob
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