WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study using data from the National Cancer Institute found that appendix cancer, also called appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA), is becoming more common among the younger generation.
Compared to older generations, the rate of this cancer has tripled in Gen X and gone up four times in millennials, according to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
To determine if rates of appendix cancer had changed over the years, researcher Dr. Andreana Holowatyj utilized data from the SEER program, a large cancer database that includes cancer information from nearly half of the U.S. population.
Between 1975 and 2019, Holowatyj's team found 4,858 adults aged 20 or older diagnosed with AA.
Dr. Holowatyj explained that about 95 percent of appendix cancers are only found after someone has surgery for appendicitis. When the appendix is removed, it is checked under a microscope, and that's when the cancer is usually discovered. Because of this delay, the cancer is often found at a late stage and has a lower chance of a good outcome.
Speaking to the New York Post about the factors contributing to appendix cancer, Dr. Holowatyj pointed out that it could be 'possibly the use of antibiotics, both in childhood and in the food chain, the industrialization of the food industry over time, the lifestyle patterns and the tripling of obesity since the 1970s, increasingly sedentary behavior, possibly environmental exposures that have changed across different parts of the country and over time.'
She hopes people with symptoms will see a doctor quickly, as there are currently no routine screening tests for appendix cancer.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
