Diagnostic Significance
A diagnosis of adenocarcinoma which is not further described, known as adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified or adenocarcinoma NOS, is significant because it displays when a cancerous process is present. However, it is not very useful for treatment decisions and prognosis, as these are determined by the tissue from which the tumour cells arose, i.e. the tissue of origin; an adenocarcinoma of the colon has a different prognosis and treatment than an adenocarcinoma of the ovary.
Adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified is often a preliminary diagnosis and can frequently be clarified by a pathologist with the use of immunohistochemistry.
Cancer for which a primary site cannot be found is called cancer of unknown primary.
Read more about this topic: Adenocarcinoma
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