Diagnostic Accuracy

My wife was diagnosed with extra mammary paget's disease (EMPD is a type of vulvar cancer) 4 years ago. She had surgery and follow up exams. The condition appeared to have cleared up. About 4 or 5 months ago, she began to have anemia symptoms. Numerous blood and other tests were negative until a bone biopsy revealed a metastatic adenocarcinoma with no known primary. There was no evidence of lymph involvement. The doctors guessed at primary breat cancer and placed her on taxol chemotherapy. She is handling the protocol well with minimal side effects (hair loss and some skin blemishes). Her blood count markers have stayed consistently in the anemia range although the platelet count has risen from as low as 10 to around 100 now and she exhibits a reasonable amount of energy. Her spirit and attitude are excellent and because she has always been a loving person there is great encouragement and support from family and friends.
My questions are: 1) Is there anything that will show us that the diagnosis is correct other than complete recovery?
2) Since the primary cancer cells cannot be identified was the unknown primary respnsible for both cancers (vulvar and bone marrow)or did the primary start in the vulvar and travel to the bone marrow.
If anyone can answer, I'd be appreciative.

Bill G.

Hi Bill..

I have stg 4 nsclc...I asked my oncologist (she is one of the top in our country - canada) how does cancer spread...she could not answer. She said that is one thing they do not know...they can look at stats and guess where its going to go next but it doesn't always. It kind of sounds like the primary for your wifes lung cancer was the breast...statistically thats where it would go next. I know in males with testicular cancer it also goes to the lungs next...who knows where the primary was with your wife...I know mine was in my right upper lobe (had that removed in sept)...but I think that once cancer begins its course (spreading) there is no telling where its going to go ... because its a cellular thing I really try and do the naturopathic stuff..never believed in it before but I have even had the chemo doctor tell me that some of the herbs used by naturopaths are in the chemo itself...see if your wife is open to this...I believe that we can change our cellular structures with good nutrition and beat this nasty disease! Good luck.