Rare cancer diagnoses surge dramatically among millennials and Gen X

A rare type of cancer is growing among millennials and members of Generation X, new research shows.

Diagnoses of appendix cancer have tripled in the U.S. for people born between 1976 and 1984 — and it has quadrupled for those born between 1981 and 1989.

The study was published on Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program to arrive at these findings.

“When you take these alarming rates that we are seeing for appendiceal cancer across generations, together with the fact that one in every three patients diagnosed with appendiceal cancer is diagnosed under the age of 50, these point to a timely need for everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of appendix cancer,” said lead author Andreana Holowatyj, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, in a press release from the university.

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Cancer of the appendix is rare, affecting only about one or two people per million each year in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Even so, doctors emphasize the importance of seeking medical attention if symptoms emerge. 

“Ruling out the possibility of an appendix cancer diagnosis, or diagnosing it early, is important for this cancer as we continue to learn what factors may be contributing to this worrisome trend,” Holowatyj said.

Appendiceal cancer forms in the appendix, which is a small organ located in the lower right abdomen.

There are two main types: epithelial appendiceal cancer, which involves the cells of the lining of the appendix, and neuroendocrine appendiceal cancer, which results from the growth of neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumors of the appendix, the NCI states.

In early stages of the disease, most people do not notice symptoms.

As the cancer progresses, common symptoms include pain, a bloated feeling, a mass in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting, and sudden feelings of fullness while eating, according to the above source.

Five-year survival rates for appendix cancer range from 10% to 63%.

Common treatments for this type of cancer include surgery to remove the appendix and any other affected organs, as well as chemotherapy to kill any metastasized cancer cells.

Based on the study findings, the researchers are calling for increased awareness among both the public and the medical community.

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“As incidence rates in younger generations are often indicative of future disease burden, these results support the need for histology-specific investigations of appendiceal adenocarcinoma, as well as increased education and awareness of appendiceal adenocarcinomas among healthcare providers and the public,” the study stated. 

There are no standard screening guidelines or risk factors for appendix cancer, which means up to half of diagnoses occur after the disease has already spread, according to the researchers.

Five-year survival rates for appendix cancer range from 10% to 63%.

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The new study received funding from the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (ACPMP) Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.