A cancer diagnosis is devastating. A stage IV cancer diagnosis is even worse. Primary Peritoneal Cancer Prognosis is not great but it is manageable. This cancer mimics ovarian cancer in that few symptoms show up until it is quite advanced. Standard treatments include surgery and chemotherapy.
There are other forms cancer that seem to hide or be misdiagnosed until they are very advanced. One is GIST-Gastro Intestinal Stroma tumor. Just a few years ago, a diagnosis of this stomach lining tumor was enough to start making funeral arrangements. But that is not the case now. Thanks to advances in research and actually separating this type of tumor from other cancers that were all lumped into the stomach cancer category, a diagnosis of GIST is no more an immediate death sentence.
A couple of drugs on the market have made a big difference. One is called Gleevec and the other is called Sutent. Gleevec is usually the first line of defense. This drug is a protein inhibitor that attacks the tumor and shrinks it. It has a 70% success rate which is unheard of for most kinds of cancer.
Interestingly, it was initially used in the treatment of leukemia and was used by a doctor as a last ditch effort for a patient who was dying of GIST. It is now standard protocol for GIST treatment.
Gleevec is not without its side effects but most are manageable. One of them is short term memory loss. That's not a big deal to you are in line at the post office and can't remember where the package your are mailing is supposed to go.
Primary peritoneal cancer prognosis will also be more favorable as other drugs are developed for treatment of this specific type of Cancer. Research is ongoing and breakthroughs are being made all the time.
Faye Herl writes about Facing Cancer Now at http://www.facingcancernow.com
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