Appendix cancer or appendiceal cancer is a
malignancy of the vermiform appendix, accounting for about 1 in 200 of all
gastrointestinal malignancies.
Tumors that occur in the appendix comprise a large group of both benign
and malignant diseases. Appendix cancer is extremely rare, affecting an
estimated 600 to 1,000 Americans each year. Most patients are diagnosed
after undergoing surgery for acute appendicitis or when an abdominal
mass is seen during a CT scan for an unrelated condition.
Often, appendix cancer remains undiagnosed until it is unexpectedly
found during or after abdominal surgery or when an abdominal mass is
seen during a CT scan for an unrelated condition. If appendix cancer is
suspected during abdominal surgery, the surgeon would take a tissue
sample (biopsy) for a pathologist to review. Otherwise, the cancer may
be diagnosed after your abdominal surgery as part of the routine
pathology reading. In that case, another surgery would most likely be
recommended to make sure all the cancerous tissue is removed.