Pseudomyxoma peritonei is a very rare type of cancer that usually begins in the appendix as a small growth, called a polyp. More rarely it can start in other parts of the bowel, the ovary or bladder.
This polyp eventually bursts through the wall of your appendix or other organs and spreads cancerous cells to the lining of the abdominal cavity (the peritoneum). These cancerous cells produce mucus, which then collects in the abdomen as a jelly-like fluid called mucin. It is different from other forms of cancer as it spreads across the surface of abdominal organs, producing a great deal of mucus.
Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital is one of only two national specialist centres in the country treating this disease. The centre forms part of the colorectal unit, and has built upon the expertise of this unit in the management of complex rectal cancer surgery.
Patients are referred to the unit for assessment and treatment from all over the United Kingdom. Referrals can be from your GP or your consultant if you are being treated within a hospital.
For more information, please see the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s website.