cellular question

nanuk

this may not be an appropriate question for this forum, but I can't talk to my Onc until the next appt., which is a little over 2 weeks away,an I'm afraid that if I bug the nurses too much, they'll take thier revenge on chemo day..
"chemo-brain" may also be taking it's toll..anyway, here goes; shortly before my lung mets dx in December 2003, I went to the derm man and had a squamus cell and basel cell carcinoma cut off my back. One of them was near the spine at (about C-7). I'm wondering if squamus or basel cell cancer could be mistaken for rectal cancer
cells.? Although the the lung biopsy
pathology report said "metastatic ademocarcinoma with features suggestive of primary colon origin",
there is also a disclaimer in the report that states that the test used was not approved by the
FDA". Since starting chemo, I've had intermittent
pain in the area of C-7, which has me playing doctor again.
I present this to my fellow semi-colons in hopes that there is someone out there who may have been a lab tech in another life..
"Doctor"-(frustrated) Nanuk

KrisS

I'd ask your doc, because I only have a vague knowledge of such things, but the "adeno" in adenocarcinoma means that the cells have secretory function like intestinal lining, salivary glands, pancreas etc. and I think that makes them have an appearance that cue the pathologists that it is one of these types of cells. Skin tumor cells have the same secretory functions, so I don't think that they would be confused easily.

I'd make certain the doc knows about the intermittant pain in your neck.

Kris

vcavanagh

Basal cell/squamous cell Carcinoma usually looks quite different than colon Carcinoma when seen under the microscope but it may not always be clear-cut. Also I don't think that Squamous/basal cell carcimoma is likely to spread/metastasize unless they are fairly large and well advanced. There are "grey areas" in all this. Hope this helps,
Blessings,
Vincent.