What is epithelioid hemangioendotheliom?

epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare form of cancer that occurs in a thin layer of cells or endothels that line the blood vessels of the human body - specifically in the liver and lungs. It is named after its classification between angiosarcoma and hemangioma, which are also vascular tumors containing endothelial cells. The epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is also known in several other terms, including angioendothelioma, cellular hemangioma, low -degree anaplastic angiosarcoma and histiocytoid hemangioma. It is so rare that it occurs only in 0.01 percent of the world's cancer population and represents only 1 percent of abnormal mass of vascular tissue.

pairs of medical scientists first described the epithelioid hemangioendothelioma in 1975, including confirmation of its vascular nature. At that time it was called "intravascular bronchiolaloalveolar tumor". The most famous case of the disease occurred in 2003, when photographer and actress Kris Carr adopted epithelioid hemangioendotelioma. The cause of this tumor remains unknown.

epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is classified as a highly aggressive form of cancer. It has the ability to spread or metastasize into lungs and bones. The disease is more common in men than in women, and in particular it affects people at the age of 20 and 30.

people with epithelioid hemangioendothelioma often occur pain and swelling in the affected areas. Tumors in the spinal cord can lead to paraplegia - physical damage to legs - in the most extreme cases. The disease can be diagnosed using radiological images, usually X -rays. Other diagnostic methods of medical imaging, such as computer tomography scanning (CT) or magnetic resonance scanning, are not sufficient for the diagnosis of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, because unlike X -rays, tumor from other cancer.

Treatment of epithelioid hEmangioendothelioma differs because it largely depends on the severity of the tumor. Doctors usually treat fewer aggressive cases using Kyrettage, an act of tissue removal by scratching with a surgical tool called Curette. For more serious cases, a wider part for curettage is required. Although doctors propose or perform amputation for the worst cases of disease, resorting to such an extreme form of treatment is extremely rare.

The

Medical Community remains undecided about how more effective treatment of cancer is, such as chemotherapy and radiation, for epithelioid hemangioendotelioma, because the tumor usually does not respond to such methods. In addition, the prognosis is still not well defined due to the rarity of the disease. In general, doctors predict a good result after treatment, although repetition is always option, ALED some studies have shown up to 10 months of survival after diagnosis.