Cancerwise

Until about 15 years ago, appendix cancer was often lumped together with colon cancer. That’s because the appendix is technically part of the colon.  

Today, though, doctors recognize appendix cancer as its own separate disease, with distinct genetic drivers at the molecular level that differ from those of colorectal cancers.  

Even so, appendix cancer can still be difficult to diagnose. Why?

Here are three reasons gastrointestinal medical oncologist John Paul Shen, M.D., and gastrointestinal surgical oncologist Beth Helmink, M.D., Ph.D., shared during a recent episode of UT MD Anderson’s Cancerwise podcast. 

1. Early-stage appendix cancer doesn’t cause any symptoms

The first reason appendix cancer is hard to diagnose is that, unlike the cancers of the gut, it doesn’t cause symptoms like pain, bleeding, nausea/vomiting or constipation. 

“In some cases, an appendix tumor may cause appendicitis,” explains Shen. “Then, you would have pain and go to an emergency room. The problem is, it’s otherwise a very silent disease. So, unless a tumor is near the very tip of your appendix, you might not even know you have one until it’s already spread throughout your abdomen.”