Rise in appendiceal cancer cases among younger adults

In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in appendiceal cancer cases in the United States, particularly among younger adults, according to a recent Annals of Internal Medicine study.

Dr. Nikolaos Dallas, a surgical oncologist at Advocate Health Care, says patients often have vague symptoms, like abdominal pain, bloating, early satiety and mild discomfort. Because of these symptoms, it can make diagnosing this rare form of cancer very difficult.

Often times, the tumor is found incidentally during imaging for other reasons, Dr. Dallas says. Appendicitis is one way that it can present, but certainly not the most common.

To treat tumors of the appendix that have spread to the abdominal cavity, health care providers use a procedure called hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). During this surgery, all visible tumors are removed and heated chemotherapy is used to treat any remaining microscopic tumor cells. The type of chemotherapy and the duration of HIPEC depend on the characteristics of the original tumor.

While HIPEC is used to treat cases of appendix cancer, Dr. Dallas notes it is also used for other applications.

“We are using HIPEC not just for appendiceal cancer, but also for ovarian, colon, rectal, gastric cancers and other rare malignancies,” Dr. Dallas says. “The key to successful patient outcomes is predicting which patients will benefit the most based on their cancer. This is where the majority of research in this field is focused.”

As research continues, Dr. Dallas and other health care providers remain hopeful that advancements in treatments like HIPEC will improve outcomes for patients with appendiceal and other cancers.

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