What is adenocarcinoma?

Adenocarcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in mucus-producing glandular

cells of your body. Many organs have these glands, and adenocarcinoma can
occur in any of these organs.

Common types include breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer,

pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer.

SYMPTOMS OF ADENOCARCINOMA

The symptoms of any cancer depend on which organ it’s in. Often there are
no symptoms or only vague symptoms until the cancer is advanced.

 Breast cancer.A lump in the breast.

 Colorectal cancer. Blood in the stool or associated iron deficiency
anemia (IDA) (low numbers of red blood cells due to loss of iron).
 Lung cancer. Coughing up bloody sputum.
 Pancreatic cancer. Abdominal pain and associated weight loss.
 Prostate cancer. A urine stream in men that is weak or starts and
stops.

Other cancer types can affect your organs, but adenocarcinoma is the most
common. According to the American Cancer Society, adenocarcinoma
accounts for:

 the majorityTrusted Source of breast cancers

 around 96 percentTrusted Source of colorectal cancers
 40 percentTrusted Source of non-small cell lung cancers
 around 95 percentTrusted Source of pancreatic cancers
  nearly 100 percentTrusted Source of prostate cancers

What are the symptoms of

specific types of
adenocarcinoma?
Breast cancer

Breast cancer is frequently found on a screening mammogram in its early

stages before symptoms start. Sometimes it appears as a new lump that’s felt
in a breast or armpit during a self-exam or by chance. The lump from breast
cancer is usually hard and painless, but not always.

Other symptoms of breast cancer include:

 breast swelling
 change in breast shape or size
 dimpled or puckered skin on a breast
 nipple discharge that is bloody, only from one breast, or has a sudden
onset
 nipple retraction, so it’s pushed in rather than sticking out
 red or scaly skin or nipple
Colorectal cancer

There may be no symptoms if the cancer hasn’t grown big enough to cause
problems or if it was found in its early stages during a screening test.

Colorectal cancers usually cause bleeding, leaving blood in the stool, but the
amount may be too small to see. Eventually, there may be enough to be
visible or so much is lost that IDA may develop. Visible blood may be bright
red or maroon in color.

Other colorectal cancer symptoms include:

 abdominal pain or cramps

 diarrhea, constipation, or other change in bowel habits
 gas, bloating, or feeling full all the time
 stool that becomes narrower or thinner
 unexplained weight loss

Lung cancer

The first symptom is usually a persistent cough with blood-tinged sputum. By

the time symptoms appear, lung cancer is usually in advanced stages and has
spread to other places in the body.

Additional symptoms of lung cancer include:

 chest pain
 difficulty breathing
 hoarseness
 loss of appetite and weight loss
  wheezing

Pancreatic cancer

Pancreas cancer is another cancer that usually has no symptoms until it’s
very advanced. Abdominal pain and weight loss are often the first
symptoms. Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes) with itchiness and clay-
colored stool can also be early symptoms.

Other symptoms of pancreatic cancer include:

 appetite loss
 back pain
 feeling bloated
 heartburn
 nausea and vomiting
 signs of excess fat in the stool (stool smells bad and floats)

Prostate cancer

Often men have no symptoms of prostate cancer. Symptoms that may occur
in advanced stages include:

 bloody urine
 frequent urination, especially at night
 erectile dysfunction
 urine stream that is weak or stops and starts
How is adenocarcinoma
diagnosed?
Your doctor will ask for your medical history and perform a physical exam to
help determine which tests to choose. Tests to diagnose cancer will vary
depending on the location, but three frequently used tests include:

 Biopsy. A healthcare provider takes a sample of an abnormal mass and

examines it under a microscope to determine if it’s cancerous. They
also check if it started at that location or is metastasis.
 CT scan. This scan gives a 3-D image of the affected part of the body
to evaluate abnormal masses that may indicate adenocarcinoma.
 MRI. This diagnostic test provides detailed images of the body’s organs
and allows doctors to see masses or abnormal tissue.

Doctors will usually perform a biopsy to confirm a cancer diagnosis. Blood

tests may not be as helpful for diagnosis, but may be useful for following
treatment progress and looking for metastases.

Laparoscopy may also be used to help confirm a diagnosis. This procedure

involves looking inside your body with a thin, lighted scope and camera.

Here are some screening tests and exams that help diagnose cancer in
specific organs and parts of the body:

Breast cancer
 Screening mammograms. Breast X-rays may be used to detect
cancer.
  Ultrasound and magnified views on a mammogram. These scans
produce images that help further characterize a mass and determine its
exact location.

Colorectal cancer
 Colonoscopy. A healthcare provider inserts a scope into your colon to
screen for cancer, evaluate a mass, remove small growths, or perform a
biopsy.

Lung cancer
 Bronchoscopy. A healthcare provider inserts a scope through your
mouth into your lungs to look for or evaluate a mass and perform a
biopsy.
 Cytology. A healthcare provider examines cells from your phlegm or
fluid around your lung under a microscope to see if there are cancer
cells.
 Mediastinoscopy. A healthcare provider inserts a scope through the
skin into the area between your lungs to biopsy lymph nodes, looking for
local spread of cancer.
 Thoracentesis (pleural tap). A healthcare provider inserts a needle
through the skin to remove a fluid collection around your lung, which is
tested for cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer
 ERCP. A healthcare provider inserts a scope through your mouth and
passes it through your stomach and part of your small intestine to
evaluate your pancreas or perform a biopsy.
  Endoscopic ultrasound. A healthcare provider inserts a scope through
your mouth into your stomach to evaluate your pancreas with ultrasound
or perform a biopsy.
 Paracentesis. A healthcare provider inserts a needle through the skin
to remove a fluid collection in your abdomen and examine the cells
within.

Prostate cancer
 Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test. This test can detect high-than-
average levels of PSA in the blood, which may be associated with
prostate cancer. It can be used as a screening test or to follow the
effectiveness of treatment.
 Transrectal ultrasound. A healthcare provider inserts a scope in the
rectum to obtain a prostate biopsy.

How is adenocarcinoma treated?

Specific treatment is based on the type of tumor, its size and characteristics,
and whether there are metastases or lymph node involvement.

Cancer localized to one body region is often treated with surgery and
radiation. When cancer has metastasized, chemotherapy is more likely to be
included in the treatment.

TREATMENT OPTIONS

There are three main treatments for adenocarcinomas:

 surgery to remove the cancer and surrounding tissue

  chemotherapy using intravenous medications that destroy cancer cells
all over the body
 radiation therapy that destroys cancer cells in one location

What is the outlook for people

with adenocarcinoma?
Outlook depends on many factors, including cancer stage, presence of
metastases, and overall health. Survival statistics are only estimates based on
average outcomes. Remember that an individual’s outcome may be different
than the averages, especially with early stage disease.

The 5-year survival rate for a specific cancer indicates the percentage of
survivors alive 5 years after diagnosis. According to the American Society of
Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the 5-year survival rates for adenocarcinoma are:

 breast cancer: 90 percent

 colorectal cancer: 65 percent
 esophageal cancer: 19 percent
 lung cancer: 18 percent
 pancreatic cancer: 8 percent
 prostate cancer: almost 100 percent