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Leiomyosarcoma
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 neoplasms characterized
by the growing or 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 that they don’t
depend on their ownenvironments.(Grevaves 1)
The problem with mutating cells is that it takes generations
for mutated cells to actually cause enough damage for a patient
to notice until it is to late. Cancer can be thought of like
a hijacker taking over the body. When cells have reached this
point it is usually to 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 that 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 ata
23.3 percentile rate.
Also the direct medical cost of
cancer was created from the nationaldata on cost per treatment
and it is estimated to cost up to 41,400 million dollars to
treat cancer (Klaunsner 29). Information from the Fact Book
from the Health Care Finance Administration states “the direct
medical cost of cancer is derived from the 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 ofthe body, such
as the small intestine, large intestine, liver, uterus, ovaries,
and kidneys.
Only affecting 300 people
in the United States since 1999. According toThe 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 ovaries 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 that 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 chance 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 Leiomyosarcomais
so rare your doctors have little answers and you have a 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 to 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 any extensive research on
Leiomyosarcoma I didn’t understand the severity of how rare this cancer
was, but it was important to me to find out because in 1999 my grandma
was diagnosed with this cancer and Leiomyosarcoma was even rarer
then it is today. Because I was a child when my grandma was diagnosed
I didn’t comprehend how terrible this really was. Iunderstood
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 choose 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 mottostands for fighting a powerful killer that impacts so many people today.
