From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2002-12-29 21:47:27 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Multiple Cancers...
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <a05200f02ba3519ba55a6@[10.0.1.2]>
> >> One malignancy can affect multiple organs.
>>
>>Ryo-Ohki's adrenal carcinoma metastasized just about everywhere. It
> >affected all her major organs.
Yes, that actually is an essential the definition of a malignacy:
that it has the potential to spread to distant organs.
Here is a quote of Dr. Bruce Williams in a past post on this topic
when the misuse of the term "cancer" for all adrenal neoplasia was
under discussion here long ago:
> >Metastasis is the hallmark of malignancy. The worst tumors have the
>>propensity to go anywhere and start growing (like lymphoma). However,
>>we can recognize malignant tumors even before they metastasize, often by
> >characteristic features seen under the microscope.
and here are some things from dictionaries (highlights mine):
>malignant: pertaining to or denoting progressive growth of CERTAIN tumors
>which if not checked by treatment spread to DISTANT sites, terminating in
>death; a tendency to progress in virulence, cancer is the best known
>example
>metastasis: the transfer or disease from one organ or part to another NOT
>DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH IT
>neoplasm, malignant: a neoplasm with the characteristics of anaplasia,
>invasiveness and metastasis
>neoplasm, benign: a neoplasm having none of the characteristics of a
>malignant neoplasm (see above), i.e. it grows SLOWLY, expands WITHOUT
>METASTASIS, and USUALLY does not reoccur [See the notes of Dr. Bruce
>Williams elsewhere in relation to why LOCAL reoccurance is NOT metastasis.]
Granted, it is possible to run into multiple types of malignancies at
once, but it's rare. We have had non-malignant things
simultaneously, but I think in 20 years the only one we have had with
multiple malignancies at once a little multiply deformed and badly
intellectually challenged female we had. (Both are no picnic to deal
with.) She had several forms of malignancies (not just the same
malignancy in multiple locations) and some non-malignancies plus
cardiomyopathy all at the same time when her body decided that it had
reached it's limit when she was 6.
In most cases, though, it turns out to be one malignancy which has
spread to multiple sites.
Sukie (BTW, I am trouble with some features that down on Smartgroups
right now, so if you see sukie at mac.com or sukiec at optonline but
see "No Name", that is me since my old server is biting the dust.)