Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare and uncommon cancer.
The definition of both rare and uncommon varies from country to country. In Australia and in the UK, the definition of a rare cancer is one that has less than 6 incidences per year per 100,000 population whilst in the USA, cancer that occurs in fewer than 15 out of 100,000 people each year is deemed to be rare, as defined by the National Cancer Institute. Occurring in around 3-4 people per million each year, PMP certainly falls within the parameters of rare no matter which definition you use.
An uncommon or less common cancer is generally agreed to mean cancers that are not of the lung, breast, bowel and prostate (the four most common). Again, as PMP most usually originates from an appendix tumour, it is included as an uncommon cancer.
Written by: A Brook
Reviewed by: Dr G Morgan MB ChB
July 2019
More FAQs
Is pseudomyxoma peritonei curable?
The question we’d all like answered!
Is cancer of the appendix curable?
The treatment and curability of cancer of the appendix depends on various factors such as the type of cancer, the stage of cancer, and the overall health of the patient.
How do you get pseudomyxoma peritonei?
The exact cause of pseudomyxoma peritonei is not known, but it typically starts as a rare type of slow-growing cancer called appendix cancer or mucinous adenocarcinoma of the appendix.
References
Estimating the Prevalence of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei in Europe...
Patrick-Brown, T.D.J.H., Carr, N.J., Swanson, D.M. et al (2020). Estimating the Prevalence of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei in Europe Using a Novel Statistical Method. Ann Surg Oncol (2020). Retrieved on May 28, 2022, from doi:10.1245/s10434-020-08655-8.