Muscinous Adenocarcinoma Of The Appendix

My wife was recently diagnosed with muscinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix.  She had her appendix removed 14 years ago and the tumors they found at the time were determined to be "benign"---wrong!  The original diagnosis was ovarian cancer but was revised after she had a complete hysterectomy.  Our research indicated that radical debulking surgery accompanied by recirculating heated chemo during surgery provided the best outcomes.  However, the cancer has spread to her lungs.  We have consulted with many surgical oncologists with specific expertise in this type of cancer and they all say she is not a candidate for surgery since the cancer has metastasized to a distant part of the body.  Our only conventional treatment option is chemotherapy.  Her medical oncologist starter her off on Oxiplatinum and Xeloda (Colon cancer drugs).  Avastin is going to be added to the regimen shortly.  After a bad reaction to the Xeloda (burning feet and hands, diarhea, stomach pains) they switched it to 5-FU.  She is having bad reactions to the 5-FU as well.  She is so sick and run-down with the chemo treatments that we are wondering if we should discontinue chemo and replace with alternative treatments. 

 Has anyone had any experience with treating this type of cancer with alternative treatments such as high-dose intravenous vitamin C, dietary supplements, herbs, mind-body, etc.?  It really is a gut-wrenching decision to take her off of conventional chemo because of the lack of data (clinical trials) on the alternative treatments and the relatively rare nature of this type of cancer.

Any help, advice or sharing of personal stories would be most appreciated.  Bless you all and good luck with your journeys.

 

On 10/22/2007 jiminNC wrote:

My wife was recently diagnosed with muscinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix.  She had her appendix removed 14 years ago and the tumors they found at the time were determined to be "benign"---wrong!  The original diagnosis was ovarian cancer but was revised after she had a complete hysterectomy.  Our research indicated that radical debulking surgery accompanied by recirculating heated chemo during surgery provided the best outcomes.  However, the cancer has spread to her lungs.  We have consulted with many surgical oncologists with specific expertise in this type of cancer and they all say she is not a candidate for surgery since the cancer has metastasized to a distant part of the body.  Our only conventional treatment option is chemotherapy.  Her medical oncologist starter her off on Oxiplatinum and Xeloda (Colon cancer drugs).  Avastin is going to be added to the regimen shortly.  After a bad reaction to the Xeloda (burning feet and hands, diarhea, stomach pains) they switched it to 5-FU.  She is having bad reactions to the 5-FU as well.  She is so sick and run-down with the chemo treatments that we are wondering if we should discontinue chemo and replace with alternative treatments. 

 Has anyone had any experience with treating this type of cancer with alternative treatments such as high-dose intravenous vitamin C, dietary supplements, herbs, mind-body, etc.?  It really is a gut-wrenching decision to take her off of conventional chemo because of the lack of data (clinical trials) on the alternative treatments and the relatively rare nature of this type of cancer.

Any help, advice or sharing of personal stories would be most appreciated.  Bless you all and good luck with your journeys.

 

I  was diagnosed in May 2007 with the same disease as your wife.  Mine was found during an umbilical hernia surgery, which they believed was ovarian cancer.  I then had a complete hysterectomy and was correctly diagnosed with Appendiceal cancer. I had the debulking surgery & heated chemo done In July 2007 in Baltimore with Dr. Jesus Esquivel.  Have you contacted him?  His knowledge of the disease is endless, he only deals with this surgery.  Mine is low-grade- I didnt realize it could metastize to the lungs.  I am only 4 mos out of surgery so I dont know what to expect at this point  and am awaiting results of my first ct.  I do wish your wife well.   Take Care, Joann