Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancerous tumor that can occur in several parts of the body. It is defined as neoplasia of epithelial tissue that has glandular origin, glandular characteristics, or both. Ep
Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancerous tumor that can occur in several parts of the body. It is defined as neoplasia of epithelial tissue that has glandular origin, glandular characteristics, or both. Epithelial tissue sometimes includes, but is not limited to, the surface layer of skin, glands, and a variety of other tissue that lines the cavities and organs of the body. To be classified as adenocarcinoma, the cells do not necessarily need to be part of a gland, as long as they have secretory properties.
Most prevalent types of adenocarcinoma include:
Adenocarcinoma is the malignant counterpart to adenoma, which is the benign form of such tumors. Sometimes adenomas transform into adenocarcinomas, but most do not. Well differentiated adenocarcinomas tend to resemble the glandular tissue that they are derived from, while poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas may not.
Doctors do not completely understand what causes adenocarcinoma, or any type of cancer. The diagnosis is based on physical exam to see if there is any swelling or a growth in any organ. Also, blood test may show signs of possible cancer.
There are several strategies for treating adenocarcinoma. More than one of these treatment options may be used, depending on individual case and goals.
Infertility due to gonadal failure is one of the major consequences of cancer therapy, particularly in patients who receive aggressive chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy treatment. Many surveys of cancer survivors have found that those patients are at increased risk of emotional distress if they become infertile as a result of their treatment. Evidence suggests that long-term survival after treatment for cancer during childhood is associated with increased risk of impaired quality of life and higher frequency of psychosocial problems often related to infertility issues. Adolescent cancer survivors have increased anxieties about body image and dating, and pediatric cancer survivors are less likely to marry than matched controls. Although cancer survivors can become parents by adoption or gamete donation, most would prefer to have biological parenthood and biologically related children.
Surgery may also affect future fertility if there is removal or damage of the reproductive organs. In male patients, surgery for pelvic cancer such as for prostate, bladder or colon cancer may damage nerves and affect potency or ejaculation. Further on, surgical adjuvant treatment by removing the gonads may be indicated in female and male patients with hormone sensitive tumors.
Cancer surgery may have impact in fertility by removing reproductive organs or damaging structures needed for reproduction. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy have toxic effects on the gonads and may in certain cases induce ovarian and testicular failure, affecting thus all aspects of reproductive health, including pubertal development, impairment of hormone production and sexual function in adults. Effects of cancer biological therapy on gametes and reproductive organs are not yet established.
In endometrioid adenocarcinoma, the cancer cells grow in patterns reminiscent of normal endometrium. Type I endometrial cancers are often low-grade, minimally invasive into the underlying uterine wall (myometrium), estrogen-dependent, and have a good outcome with treatment. Type I carcinomas represent 75–90% of endometrial cancer.
Type II endometrial carcinomas usually occur in older, post-menopausal people, and are not associated with increased exposure to estrogen or a history of endometrial hyperplasia. Type II endometrial cancers are often high-grade, with deep invasion into the underlying uterine wall (myometrium) and carry a poorer prognosis. They are more aggressive than type I, with a greater risk of relapse and/or metastasis.
It is now accepted that male reproductive failure may precede testicular germ cell cancer. The loss of semen following surgery to treat cancer makes ejaculation impossible, so the sperm cannot physically make it out of the body to reach the woman’s egg for fertilization. With radiation therapy, fertility is nearly always impaired. Radiated prostate cells and seminal vesicles tend to produce semen that cannot transport the sperm well.
The diet plays a key role in various stages of cancer development. The process of carcinogenesis may be affected by nutritional factors through mechanisms that promote or inhibit its development. Some vitamins, such as the antioxidant Vitamins A, E, and C, demonstrate these protective effects. The daily ingestion of antioxidants has the potential of not only protecting against cance