What is Primary Peritoneal Cancer (PPC)?

Primary Peritoneal Cancer (PPC) is a rare cancer that starts in the peritoneum, a layer of tissue that lines the abdominal cavity and surrounds the organs in the abdomen. The peritoneum protects the organs in the abdomen, provides them with support, and allows them to move freely with the body’s normal movement. Primary peritoneal cancer develops from epithelial cells, the same cells found on the ovarian surface. Therefore, this cancer behaves very similarly to epithelial ovarian cancer and is diagnosed, staged, and treated in the same way. Primary peritoneal cancer can form anywhere inside the abdominal cavity, and can form even if the ovaries and fallopian tubes have been removed.