What causes a Fungating tumor?
Fungating wounds are caused by direct infiltration of the skin, tissues, mucosa and blood and lymph vessels by a local tumour, from a metastatic deposit from a distant primary site or from a primary skin tumour, such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma or malignant melanoma (McMurray, 2003).
What is a large fungating mass?
A type of skin lesion that is marked by ulcerations (breaks on the skin or surface of an organ) and necrosis (death of living tissue) and that usually has a bad smell.
How long can you live with Fungating wound?
It can be predicted that about five per cent of patients with cancer will develop a malignant fungating wound. The life expectancy for a person living with such a wound is very short with an average of six to twelve months survival (Lo, et al., 2008).
Do fungating tumors smell?
Malodors associated with ulcerating tumors are reportedly caused by the odor of anaerobic infections of fungating wounds and the odor of fatty acids produced in necrotizing cancer tissue [1, 2].
Are fungating wounds painful?
It is estimated that 5% to 10% of patients with advanced cancer will develop a fungating wound. Several studies have indicated that 55% to 95% of cancer patients with advance disease experience severe pain26,27;hence it is likely that a significant number of patients suffer from pain related to a fungating wound.
What is a fungating tumor?
A fungating or ulcerating tumor can occur with several types of cancer, including breast cancer and melanoma. Nearly 2–5% of locally advanced breast cancers develop a fungating breast wound. A fungating tumor occurs when the cancer cells penetrate the skin surrounding the breast.
Are fungating tumors painful?
Most people who have cancer will never experience the unique pain and discomfort of a fungating tumor, but for those who do, being treated by an experienced surgeon is imperative.
Where can I find a fungating tumor specialist in California?
If you’re looking for a fungating tumor specialist, then you should call the Wound Institute of America, located in Beverly Hills, California. Doctors will create a custom treatment plan depending on your examination of your fungating wound and suggest what the options are.