I Search- LeioMyoSarcoma
By Jillian Marie Andree, Granddaughter to Jane Moulds
Introduction
Although cancer can be treated there is no cure. only remission. What happens when you are infected with such a rare cancer that there is no treatment and little to no research on it? The common view on Leiomyosarcoma seems to be that it is a disease. But the rare position of Leiomyosarcoma is that it actually is a cancer that affects only four out of every one million people.
What I Know
Cancer is any various malignant neoplasm characterized by growing on multiplying of rapidly producing new tissue and cells. Anaplastic cells tend to invade surrounding tissues and travel to new places in the body. Cells are transmitted or transferred from one part of the body to another. Although cancer is treatable, there is no cure, only remission from mutating cells (Grevaves 55).
What I Discovered
For cancer cells to spread they must multiply and, for most cancer cells this is the only possible way that the cells are able to grow. As the mutated cells multiply and single cells mutate into cancerous cells after a long period of time the mutated cells change and evolve so they don't depend on their own environment (Grevaves 1).
The problem with mutating cells is that it take generations for mutated cells to actually cause enough damage for a patient to notice until it is too late. Cancer can be thought of like a hijacker taking over the body. When cells have reached this point it is usually too late to treat. Around this time the mutated cells have expanded and divided so many times they have almost completely become resistant against any therapy that can stop the growth of cancerous cells. Eventually the body is no longer able to fight off the mutated cells. (Grevaves 56).
The only offense the body has over the mutated cells is that the body sends in white blood cells to invade the infected or damaged tissues. And the white blood cells try to repair the damaged tissues, but by this time most of the mutated cells have complete control and the white blood cells can no longer modify and mend the damaged tissue. Although there is treatment for cancer, there is no cure known today according to the book. (Grevaves 57).
In relationship to other leading causes of death in the United States of America, cancer is the second highest killer today. The percentage of total deaths caused by cancer in the United States is at a 23.3 percentile rate.
Also the direct medical cost of cancer was created from the national data on cost per treatment and it is estimated to cost up to 41,000 million dollars to treat cancer (Klausner 29). Information from the Fact Book from the Health Care Finance Administration states "the direct medical cost of cancer is derived from teh national data on costs per treatment episode."
Unlike all the other cancers Leiomyosarcoma only affects four out of every one million people, and attacks the soft tissued organs of the body, such as the small intestine, large intestine, liver, uterus, ovaries, and kidneys.
Only affecting 300 people in the United States since 1999. According to The Encyclopedia of Cancer "The rarest of all types of female reproductive cancers, making up just 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent of all gynecologic cancers." (pg 145). Leiomyosarcoma affects middle aged women that are past menopause and have had children (Turkington 146).
Usually this kind of leiomyosarcoma is found in the uterus and is also known as fallopian tube cancer. Leiomyosarcoma and fallopian tube cancer are not easy to diagnose because of lack of symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Leiomyosarcoma is caused by the mutation in the APC gene these cancers are found in the fallopian tubes and ovaries. (Turkington 146).
Leiomyosarcoma could be a result in a genetic factor this kind of cancer only takes over the part of the body that is able to reproduce. When a tumor has reached the point of no longer being able to be treated the only other option is surgery. Although surgically removing the tumor is the most effective way of remaining alive it sometimes can not be done therefore the doctors will give you a short term time span which is only measured in two months.
Unfortunately Leiomyosarcoma and the prediction of the survival of the disease is at thirty to fifty three percentile. Treatment of Leiomyosarcoma offers little change of survival. The unfamiliar characteristics and lack of information that doctors have today are key components of the survival rate. "Leiomyosarcoma is rarely suspected until the condition is discovered during surgery or for other reasons." (Turkington 145).
There is no clear evidence of what causes Leiomyosarcoma, although some researchers believe that a connection to radiation or certain chemicals used in pesticides and wood preservation are some of the biggest factors in contracting the disease.
As I researched my topic it became clear to me of how serious this cancer is. Unfortunately researchers know the rarity of this cancer, but fail to learn more about Leiomyosarcoma. Despite the fact that there is no extensive research done on Leiomyosarcoma the National Cancer Institute says "The cancer Leiomyosarcoma is so rare that large cancer institutes only see a few cases of Leiomyosarcoma once or twice over long periods of time." (Turkington 146)
When you are infected with this cancer "IVC Leiomyosarcoma comes from single case reports or small series. Thus, optimal treatment strategies are unclear." (Dew 497) Unfortunately because Leiomyosarcoma is so rare your doctors have little answers and you have an even smaller chance of living.
That is why it is so important to spread information on cancers such as leiomyosarcoma. Because without information on these rare cancers; that is how it becomes one of the number one killers in America. People do not know what to watch for and so it grows and grows until it is too late, and no research is able to be performed because it is too late and that is how cancer becomes one of the number one killers today.
What this means to me
The impact that this research paper had on me is really hard to find in words because before I had done extensive research on Leiomyosarcoma, I didn't understand the severity of how rare the cancer was, but it is important to me to find out because in 1999 my grandma was diagnosed with this cancer and Leiomyosarcoma was even rarer than it is today. Because I was a child when my grandma was diagnosed I didn't comprehend how terrible it really was. I understood that my grandma was very sick but no one explained to me that she could die and that there was little or no research done on the cancer that she just happened to be diagnosed with. Writing this paper helped me better understand how awful this cancer is. Not only has this research opened my mind, but, made me realize how important it is to stay close to your family. Because in the end they are the ones that will always be there for you and will not leave you left alone and in the dark.
My grandma plays important part in research of Leiomyosarcoma she donates time and has started her own support group. Every year as a family we walk the Mackinaw Bridge together to help the fight against such a powerful killer. When I started this research project I told my grandma that I chose to do Leiomyosarcoma and when i told her, she wanted to help so much she gave me so much information she sent me this really cool bracelet and ribbon they both were purple. She told me that the motto for Leiomyosarcoma is "Slay the Dragon" and that the motto stands for fighting a powerful killer that impacts so many people today.
Introduction
Although cancer can be treated there is no cure. only remission. What happens when you are infected with such a rare cancer that there is no treatment and little to no research on it? The common view on Leiomyosarcoma seems to be that it is a disease. But the rare position of Leiomyosarcoma is that it actually is a cancer that affects only four out of every one million people.
What I Know
Cancer is any various malignant neoplasm characterized by growing on multiplying of rapidly producing new tissue and cells. Anaplastic cells tend to invade surrounding tissues and travel to new places in the body. Cells are transmitted or transferred from one part of the body to another. Although cancer is treatable, there is no cure, only remission from mutating cells (Grevaves 55).
What I Discovered
For cancer cells to spread they must multiply and, for most cancer cells this is the only possible way that the cells are able to grow. As the mutated cells multiply and single cells mutate into cancerous cells after a long period of time the mutated cells change and evolve so they don't depend on their own environment (Grevaves 1).
The problem with mutating cells is that it take generations for mutated cells to actually cause enough damage for a patient to notice until it is too late. Cancer can be thought of like a hijacker taking over the body. When cells have reached this point it is usually too late to treat. Around this time the mutated cells have expanded and divided so many times they have almost completely become resistant against any therapy that can stop the growth of cancerous cells. Eventually the body is no longer able to fight off the mutated cells. (Grevaves 56).
The only offense the body has over the mutated cells is that the body sends in white blood cells to invade the infected or damaged tissues. And the white blood cells try to repair the damaged tissues, but by this time most of the mutated cells have complete control and the white blood cells can no longer modify and mend the damaged tissue. Although there is treatment for cancer, there is no cure known today according to the book. (Grevaves 57).
In relationship to other leading causes of death in the United States of America, cancer is the second highest killer today. The percentage of total deaths caused by cancer in the United States is at a 23.3 percentile rate.
Also the direct medical cost of cancer was created from the national data on cost per treatment and it is estimated to cost up to 41,000 million dollars to treat cancer (Klausner 29). Information from the Fact Book from the Health Care Finance Administration states "the direct medical cost of cancer is derived from teh national data on costs per treatment episode."
Unlike all the other cancers Leiomyosarcoma only affects four out of every one million people, and attacks the soft tissued organs of the body, such as the small intestine, large intestine, liver, uterus, ovaries, and kidneys.
Only affecting 300 people in the United States since 1999. According to The Encyclopedia of Cancer "The rarest of all types of female reproductive cancers, making up just 0.3 percent to 0.5 percent of all gynecologic cancers." (pg 145). Leiomyosarcoma affects middle aged women that are past menopause and have had children (Turkington 146).
Usually this kind of leiomyosarcoma is found in the uterus and is also known as fallopian tube cancer. Leiomyosarcoma and fallopian tube cancer are not easy to diagnose because of lack of symptoms in the early stages of the disease. Leiomyosarcoma is caused by the mutation in the APC gene these cancers are found in the fallopian tubes and ovaries. (Turkington 146).
Leiomyosarcoma could be a result in a genetic factor this kind of cancer only takes over the part of the body that is able to reproduce. When a tumor has reached the point of no longer being able to be treated the only other option is surgery. Although surgically removing the tumor is the most effective way of remaining alive it sometimes can not be done therefore the doctors will give you a short term time span which is only measured in two months.
Unfortunately Leiomyosarcoma and the prediction of the survival of the disease is at thirty to fifty three percentile. Treatment of Leiomyosarcoma offers little change of survival. The unfamiliar characteristics and lack of information that doctors have today are key components of the survival rate. "Leiomyosarcoma is rarely suspected until the condition is discovered during surgery or for other reasons." (Turkington 145).
There is no clear evidence of what causes Leiomyosarcoma, although some researchers believe that a connection to radiation or certain chemicals used in pesticides and wood preservation are some of the biggest factors in contracting the disease.
As I researched my topic it became clear to me of how serious this cancer is. Unfortunately researchers know the rarity of this cancer, but fail to learn more about Leiomyosarcoma. Despite the fact that there is no extensive research done on Leiomyosarcoma the National Cancer Institute says "The cancer Leiomyosarcoma is so rare that large cancer institutes only see a few cases of Leiomyosarcoma once or twice over long periods of time." (Turkington 146)
When you are infected with this cancer "IVC Leiomyosarcoma comes from single case reports or small series. Thus, optimal treatment strategies are unclear." (Dew 497) Unfortunately because Leiomyosarcoma is so rare your doctors have little answers and you have an even smaller chance of living.
That is why it is so important to spread information on cancers such as leiomyosarcoma. Because without information on these rare cancers; that is how it becomes one of the number one killers in America. People do not know what to watch for and so it grows and grows until it is too late, and no research is able to be performed because it is too late and that is how cancer becomes one of the number one killers today.
What this means to me
The impact that this research paper had on me is really hard to find in words because before I had done extensive research on Leiomyosarcoma, I didn't understand the severity of how rare the cancer was, but it is important to me to find out because in 1999 my grandma was diagnosed with this cancer and Leiomyosarcoma was even rarer than it is today. Because I was a child when my grandma was diagnosed I didn't comprehend how terrible it really was. I understood that my grandma was very sick but no one explained to me that she could die and that there was little or no research done on the cancer that she just happened to be diagnosed with. Writing this paper helped me better understand how awful this cancer is. Not only has this research opened my mind, but, made me realize how important it is to stay close to your family. Because in the end they are the ones that will always be there for you and will not leave you left alone and in the dark.
My grandma plays important part in research of Leiomyosarcoma she donates time and has started her own support group. Every year as a family we walk the Mackinaw Bridge together to help the fight against such a powerful killer. When I started this research project I told my grandma that I chose to do Leiomyosarcoma and when i told her, she wanted to help so much she gave me so much information she sent me this really cool bracelet and ribbon they both were purple. She told me that the motto for Leiomyosarcoma is "Slay the Dragon" and that the motto stands for fighting a powerful killer that impacts so many people today.