Difficult to diagnose asymptomatic appendix cancer until later stages

One may experience symptoms like abdominal pain, often in the lower right abdomen, changes in bowel habits or unexplained diarrhoea, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, feeling a mass or lump in the abdomen, and inflammation of the abdominal lining

New Delhi: Being typically asymptomatic until later stages, it is difficult to diagnose appendix cancer, which can affect treatment outcomes, said experts on Wednesday.

August is appendix cancer awareness month.

The appendix is a pickle organ attached to the colon.

Appendicitis is a common problem, but appendicular cancer is rare. It is usually detected by chance while diagnosing or treating some other condition.

While early diagnosis is key to better survival in most diseases, including cancers, the rarity of appendix cancer coupled with the lack of symptoms makes it more difficult to detect, said the experts. “Appendicular cancer, something that has recently been realised as a separate entity. Previously, it used to be merged with intestinal cancer itself, the small intestine, and large intestine cancers. Unfortunately, because it is such a rare diagnosis, it is suspected as a normal acute appendicitis in most people,” Dr. Shubham Jain, Senior Consultant, Department of Surgical Oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCIRC), said.

“So, the majority of the patients get misdiagnosed as having acute appendicitis in the beginning. For this, an appendectomy is done and then the biopsy report confirms whether it is an appendiceal neoplasm or appendix cancer,” the doctor explained.