ADENOCARCINOMA is a disease that starts in the mucous glands inside your organs.
It can often be present in the lungs, colon or even the breasts.
The cancer is often found in the lungs and is classed as a non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
This is one of the most common forms of lung cancer in the US, with around 84 per cent of cases being NSCLS, data from the American Cancer Society states.
In the UK, the NHS states that it accounts for around 80-85 per cent of cases, along with squamous cell carcinoma and large-cell carcinoma.
Earlier this month it was revealed that a woman’s body will be dissected live on TV after she offered her body to be used for medical research after losing her battle with adenocarcinoma in 2020.
Toni Crews, 30, from Kent, England, was diagnosed with the disease in 2016 after she began to suffer from blurred vision.
A tumour had developed in her tear gland and cancer had spread across her face, forcing her to have her right eye removed.
What is adenocarcinoma?
Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that begins in the lining of the glands inside an organ.
The disease can affect areas such as the colon, breasts, esophagus, lungs, pancreas, or prostate.
An overgrowth of cells that line the glands can cause adenocarcinoma and harm healthy tissues.
Adenocarcinoma is a subtype of carcinoma, a type of cancer which forms tumors.
How can you get diagnosed with adenocarcinoma?
Diagnostic testing for adenocarcinoma can vary depending on the organ.
However, a person can experience pain, diarrhea, bleeding, or fatigue, depending on the type of cancer, experts at WebMd said.
Yet, many may not feel pain in the early stages.
Doctors can perform blood tests, imaging scans, or a biopsy to further locate cancer cells in the body.
Medical professionals could also perform a physical exam or a colonoscopy to check for polyps in the colon.
How is adenocarcinoma treated?
Adenocarcinoma can be treated in various ways depending on the length of time the disease has been in an organ.
The first treatment would be a surgical procedure to remove the tumor and tissue around it.
Depending on the look of the tissue, the doctor can tell if the cancer is gone or if it has taken over other body parts.
Chemotherapy is also a common form of treatment which involves certain drugs that zap the cancer cells and other healthy cells and kill them.
Radiation using high-energy X-rays can also work or targeted therapy as well.
Target therapy does the opposite of chemotherapy, as instead of killing both healthy and cancerous cells, it only targets the abnormal cells directly.
Getting rid of adenocarcinoma may require getting multiple different types of treatments simultaneously such as chemotherapy and radiation, or surgery and chemotherapy.
