My mother is diagnosed with "poorly differentiated carcinoma(PDC) of unknown
primary site". She is 47 year old and has metastases in

        (1) para aortic lymph modes
        (2) mesentry
        (3) peritoenum.

I tried reading all the available literature from journals on cancer.
I got the references through MEDLINE, CANCERLIT, and other local
library catalogs.  A good review of this cancer is given in [1].

According to our oncologist (she is also a family friend),
peritoneum metastsis is a bad sign and
they normally associate a life of 6-12 months.  I couldn't find any
doumentary evidence that peritoneal metastasis is a bad prognostic
factor. The oncologist's opinion seems more like folklore
than a {*filter*}e.

What is bothering me is that very little experience has accumulated
in the medical community in dealing with this cancer. Previously they
used to classify it as one or the other organs and treat it accordingly.
Recently they made a separate category for this cancer.

Has anybody you know been diagnosed with PDC of unknown primary site?
If so, did he or she have peritoneal metastasis? If so, how was
the prognosis? If there is a person like that, can you please make the case
history available to me? The information you provide could be of great value
in treating my mother.

Ramana

References:

[1]. J.D.Hainsworth, D.H.Johnson, F.A.Greco, "Cisplatin-based combination
     chemotherapy in the treatment of poorly differentiated carcinoma
     and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site:
     Results of 12-year experience", Journal of Clinical Oncology,
     June 1992,912-922.

*************************************************************************

Ramana Juvvadi,
62-L, Reading Road,
Edison, NJ 08817.
R:(908)-632-9730.
O:(908)-582-7153.
Fax:(908)-582-2456

        Tumors are classified on the basis of the cell of origin.  The
prognosis (and behaviour) of a tumor depends  on a combination of
histological and clinical criteria - the cell of origin, the degree of
differentiation, and the extent of spread at the time of detection.  When one
cannot be sure, by several diagnostic criteria, to assign the tumor to a
specific cell (or tissue of origin), the tumor is classified as "unknown
primary".  This should not be taken to mean that it is a monolithic entity,
with unique behaviour.  Most probably (obviously I cannot swear that this is
so), this classification includes several distinct malignant tumors, each with
its own behaviour.

        In general, spread anywhere is a bad sign; for instance,
5 year survival rate for bladder cancers drop from 72% for localized tumors (at
the time of detection) to 3% for tumors with distant spread; for testicular
cancer, the similar numbers are 60 and 15.  Peritoneal spread is bad,
 because no surgical intervention is possible for this diffuse "site".