Mucocele in the enlarged appendix

Faith4Cure
Faith4Cure Member Posts: 405 Member
edited March 2014 in Colorectal Cancer #1
It has been a long time since I have posted here. My husband just celebrated 4 years cancer free (Stage 3 rectal cancer) It was a rough couple of years, but life has been good since. I check in every once in awhile and I pray for all of you!

What I am wondering..... We had a CT scan, xrays, and bloodwork about a week ago and got a clean bill of health from our oncologist. Just today, we got the full report in the mail. It mentions-----"enlarged appendix suspicious of mucocele" Our doctor had mentioned an enlarged appendix the last time we were there 6 months ago and didn't seem concerned. This visit he didn't even mention it and said everything looked good or unchanged since the last scan. From the research I have done today, I am reading that a mucocele in the appendix can be cancerous. Does anyone have any knowledge of what this is?

Thanks for any input!

Faith

Comments

  • Jaylo969
    Jaylo969 Member Posts: 824 Member
    #2
    Hi Faith
    There is a member on here called Abrub ( think I have that right ) Anyway, she had appendix cancer so I am hoping she will see your post. Bumping it back up to the top.

    Best wishes to you and hubby.
    -Pat
  • Faith4Cure
    Faith4Cure Member Posts: 405 Member
    #3
    Jaylo969 said:

    Hi Faith
    There is a member on here called Abrub ( think I have that right ) Anyway, she had appendix cancer so I am hoping she will see your post. Bumping it back up to the top.

    Best wishes to you and hubby.
    -Pat

    Thanks Pat
    It seems that
    Thanks Pat
    It seems that mucocele is an unusual term. I think that we probably need to call the doctor back to clarify the report. Ugghh! I thought he had a good report when we were talking to the oncologist. Now I am wondering if the doctor may have missed something.
  • Lori-S
    Lori-S Member Posts: 1,277 Member
    #4
    Faith4Cure said:

    Thanks Pat
    It seems that
    Thanks Pat
    It seems that mucocele is an unusual term. I think that we probably need to call the doctor back to clarify the report. Ugghh! I thought he had a good report when we were talking to the oncologist. Now I am wondering if the doctor may have missed something.

    Hi Faith
    I did a little research and it seems it can be anything from a no problem sort of thing to a major problem sort of thing. Sorry I can't be more help. I do hope that everything is ok. HUGS
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #5
    From Alice with Appendix Cancer
    My personal take would be to get it out.

    As was explained to me by my surgeon, the walls of the appendix are much thinner than the walls of the colon, so that something that might not ever be a problem in the colon could cause the appendix to rupture. The tumor that has caused me so many problems might have been a removable polyp had it occurred in the colon, and not ruptured my appendix and spewn forth from there.

    My tumor type is "Mucinous Adenocarcinoma" - a mucous producing tumor type. Also, there's a condition known as Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, PMP, where the belly fills and often refills with mucous from similar tumor types (a cystoadenoma).

    If this is cancerous and is removed while fully contained in the appendix, there may be no need for further treatment. Personally, I'd get it removed.

    Contact a specialist in Appendix Cancer for an optinion. I see Dr. Paty at Memorial Sloan Kettering (surgeon) and Dr. Chung there as well (medical oncologist.) If they advise to ignore it, then I would. However, since appendix cancer is so rare (500-1000 cases in the US/year), most drs assume that can't be an issue.

    Please follow up. A laparascopic appendectomy would be minor in the scheme of things, and is certainly worth putting this worry to bed.

    PM me if you want more info.

    Alice
  • Faith4Cure
    Faith4Cure Member Posts: 405 Member
    #6
    abrub said:

    From Alice with Appendix Cancer
    My personal take would be to get it out.

    As was explained to me by my surgeon, the walls of the appendix are much thinner than the walls of the colon, so that something that might not ever be a problem in the colon could cause the appendix to rupture. The tumor that has caused me so many problems might have been a removable polyp had it occurred in the colon, and not ruptured my appendix and spewn forth from there.

    My tumor type is "Mucinous Adenocarcinoma" - a mucous producing tumor type. Also, there's a condition known as Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, PMP, where the belly fills and often refills with mucous from similar tumor types (a cystoadenoma).

    If this is cancerous and is removed while fully contained in the appendix, there may be no need for further treatment. Personally, I'd get it removed.

    Contact a specialist in Appendix Cancer for an optinion. I see Dr. Paty at Memorial Sloan Kettering (surgeon) and Dr. Chung there as well (medical oncologist.) If they advise to ignore it, then I would. However, since appendix cancer is so rare (500-1000 cases in the US/year), most drs assume that can't be an issue.

    Please follow up. A laparascopic appendectomy would be minor in the scheme of things, and is certainly worth putting this worry to bed.

    PM me if you want more info.

    Alice

    Thanks so much for your
    Thanks so much for your reply on this. We will get in contact with the doctor very soon and see what his thoughts are on this. I cannot understand why he has not even mentioned this to us. Maybe it is like you said---appendix cancer is rare-----but we all know how that goes........

    Thanks again for your information. I will let you know what we find out. I hope you are doing well!

    Faith
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #7
    Faith4Cure said:

    Thanks so much for your
    Thanks so much for your reply on this. We will get in contact with the doctor very soon and see what his thoughts are on this. I cannot understand why he has not even mentioned this to us. Maybe it is like you said---appendix cancer is rare-----but we all know how that goes........

    Thanks again for your information. I will let you know what we find out. I hope you are doing well!

    Faith

    Thank you, Faith. I'm doing
    Thank you, Faith. I'm doing very well.

    Because of the spread, I underwent multiple surgeries and treatments, but am now doing great, anticipating a long and healthy life.

    Wishing you well,

    Alice
  • abrub
    abrub Member Posts: 2,174 Member
    #8
    Faith4Cure said:

    Thanks so much for your
    Thanks so much for your reply on this. We will get in contact with the doctor very soon and see what his thoughts are on this. I cannot understand why he has not even mentioned this to us. Maybe it is like you said---appendix cancer is rare-----but we all know how that goes........

    Thanks again for your information. I will let you know what we find out. I hope you are doing well!

    Faith

    PS - a link to some resources
    Some Appendix cancer experts:

    http://www.appendix-cancer.com/archive/Physicians and Facilities.htm

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