The exact cause of pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is not currently known.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a type of cancer that happens in the tummy. Doctors don’t know exactly why it happens, but it usually starts in the appendix, a small part of the gut. Sometimes, it can start in other parts of the body too.
PMP can happen to people of any age, but it’s very rare, with only three or four in a million people getting it each year. The cancer cells make a gooey substance called mucin, which fills up the tummy and makes tumour-like implants on the suface of organs like the colon and spleen.
Most people with PMP don’t have any symptoms at first, so it’s hard to find it early. Some things might make it more likely to happen, like having a family member with PMP or other types of cancer, or certain changes in genes, but most people with these things don’t develop PMP.
Written by the Pseudomyxoma Survivor editorial team
Updated April 13th, 2023
References
Mucinous appendiceal neoplasms with or without pseudomyxoma peritonei...
Soucisse ML, Lansom J, Alshahrani MS, Morris DL. Mucinous appendiceal neoplasms with or without Pseudomyxoma peritonei: A Review. ANZ Journal of Surgery. 2020;90(10):1888-1894. doi:10.1111/ans.16185
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