What is Adenocarcinoma?

Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that develops in the glandular cells. These cells start to produce mucus, fluid, or other substances. These types of glandular cells are found in many organs. 

These cancers can develop in many organs including:

• Breast
• Lungs 
• Colon/rectum, 
• Esophagus, 
• Pancreas, 
• Stomach
• Prostate glands

If the glandular epithelial cells start to change or grow out of control, it results in the development of tumors.

Adenocarcinoma is one of the most common types of cancer, involving many organs. This is a general and common term that covers many cancers in the many organs, while key characteristics include the cancer behavior, how fast they grow and spread, and how responsive they are to the treatment, which varies widely.

Factors that affect curability of this cancer

Here are some factors that affect the curability of adenocarcinoma cancer, including:

Stage at diagnosis

Localized cancer: These types of cancers are confined to the original organ, which has a higher chance of being cured than other organs that have spread to lymph nodes or distant organs (metastasis).

Early detection is considered to be crucial for catching the cancer at an earlier, and more curable stage.

Once there is a regional spread (nearby lymph nodes) or distant organs (metastasis), cures become more difficult to achieve.

Organ/ site of the tumor

The specific location/ site of the adenocarcinoma plays a vital role in, as some are more responsible to the success rate of surgery or treatments.

The tumor’s site often influences several factors, such as the potential for early detection, the aggressive nature of cancer, and the ability to perform a complete surgical removal.

For example, an early-stage colorectal cancer or breast adenocarcinomas often have better treatment outcomes when compared to the pancreatic adenocarcinomas, which are more frequently aggressive or diagnosed later.

Grade and other characteristics

Grade: A high-grade cancer is more aggressive in nature. It has a higher risk of spreading cancer and makes it more difficult to treat.

Invasiveness: Non-invasive also means that (carcinoma in-situ), that cancers have a much lower risk of spreading cancers when compared to invasive cancers.

Treatment options

Here are some of the treatments options available for this type of cancer, including:

Surgery: These treatment options are used to remove the tumor and margin of healthy tissues. Surgeries are most effective when the cancer is localized and there is a chance of cure in patients.

Radiation therapy: These treatments are used to destroy localized remaining cancer cells, especially in organs or regions where the surgical procedure is difficult or as supplementary treatment.

Chemotherapy: These systemic drugs are used to destroy cancer cells throughout the body. These treatments are often used when there is a risk of cancer spread, also known as adjuvant therapy.

Targeted therapy/ molecular therapy: These treatments are used when specific biomarkers/ specific mutations are present. For example: EGFR, ALK in lung adenocarcinoma. These treatments highly improve the treatment outcomes.

Immunotherapy: These treatments are used in some cases of adenocarcinomas in certain organs. It’s a newly adopted treatment but highly promising in some cases, improving survival in advanced disease.

Supportive/ palliative care: These treatment options are opted when the cure is not possible, it helps to reduce many symptoms and helps to maintain the quality of life.