Peritoneal Carcinomatosis

And hence the research begins.

I seriously don't want to have to know this, but how can you do anything but dive in? How can I advocate for my mom if I don't know what the hell the doctors are saying.

And so I have a definition. Peritoneal Carcinomatosis = REALLY BAD SHIT.

This is the term for cancer that has spread to the peritoneal sack that encompasses the organs in the abdomen. Peritoneal carcinomatosis can be caused by several types of cancer, including gastro-intestinal cancers, like colon cancer, or ovarian cancer. Until the results of the biopsy return, we won't know for certain which type this stems from, but the oncologist has told us that this is a presentation that might be more likely with ovarian cancer. And so, the peritoneal carcinomatosis diagnosis is given when the cancer tumors have formed on this peritoneal sack. This only happens after cancer has metatisized.

Also, when I was in the ER with mom, I heard the nurse and doctor say that swelling and pain is caused by the ascites in the abdomen. Well, peritoneal carcinomatosis, with the presence of ascites is the defintion of 4th stage (ovarian) cancer.

And so I continue to read. In fact, I have purchased articles from several medical journals related to this topic, including information about the cancer itself and about the treatment options. If you want to see any of them, let me know, I can email them, they are all in PDF format.

I don't think I'll be able to write any long blogs about this, I realize as I am typing this that it is somewhat theraputic, but at the same time, its forcing me to think about the topic... and I don't know that I can do that.