Rare Appendix Cancer On Rise Among Millennials And Gen X: Study
According to a paper published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) rates have tripled among Gen X and quadrupled among millennials compared to previous generations, based on an analysis of a National Cancer Institute database.
The incidence of appendiceal adenocarcinoma is increasing in all age groups in the United States. Although they have not yet been studied, birth cohort patterns of AA can offer new etiologic hints on the rising prevalence.
Vanderbilt University Medical Centre researchers examined data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program of the National Cancer Institute, which tracked incidents between 1975 and 2019.
According to their data, the incidence of appendix cancer has quadrupled for those born in 1985 and tripled for those born in 1980 when compared to those born in 1945.
Although appendix cancer is very rare - roughly 3,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the US, a small portion of the more than 150,000 instances of colorectal cancer - there is a noticeable generational trend.
A total of 4,858 cases of appendix cancer were reported between 1975 and 2019.
The increase in appendix cancer rates, according to experts, is similar to trends in other gastrointestinal cancers, like colorectal and stomach cancers. They are also on the rise among those under 50.
Increased use of ultra-processed foods, particularly processed meats and sugary beverages, as well as increased rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome, are possible causes of appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) among younger generations.
Dr Andreana Holowatyji, the study's principal author, stressed the rise was not the result of more appendectomies because surgery rates remained constant over time. It indicates more significant lifestyle changes and environmental risk factors.
"There is a disproportionate burden of appendix cancer among young individuals," Dr Andreana Holowatyji told NBC News.
Early detection of appendix cancer can be difficult since its symptoms - bloating, changes in bowel habits, and appetite loss - can be ambiguous.
The exact causes remain unidentified, and scientists emphasise the importance of more research into environmental exposures and molecular alterations that could contribute to appendix cancers.
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