Latest news with #Holowatyj
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Quadruple Rise in Uncommon Cancer Seen in Older Millennials
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new study has found a striking increase in appendix cancer in Americans born after 1945, with older millennials experiencing the most dramatic rise. Appendix cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, is fortunately very rare, affecting only about 1–2 people in every million annually. However, the study led by researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, found that appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) diagnoses have more than tripled in those born around 1980 and quadrupled in those born around 1985. While older millennials were those with the highest number of diagnoses, researchers believe that as higher-risk birth cohorts continue to age, it is likely that AA incidence rates will increase in the future. The study was based on data from the National Cancer Institute SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program, with the researchers analyzing the incidence of AA in people aged 20 or older from 1975 to 2019. In total, they examined 4,858 confirmed cases. A stock image shows a doctor pressing on a young woman's appendix. A stock image shows a doctor pressing on a young woman's appendix. getty images According to the Cleveland Clinic, sex and age are risk factors for appendix cancer; women are more likely to develop AA, are are those aged 50 and over. Other factors include smoking, a family history of cancer and health conditions such as atrophic gastritis (where the stomach lining becomes chronically inflamed), pernicious anemia (an autoimmune condition which affects the red blood cells) and Zollinger–Ellison syndrome (in which tumors cause ulcers in the stomach and upper small intestine), which have all been linked to a higher risk. Symptoms of appendix cancer vary from person to person—and sometimes can be asymptomatic. When present, symptoms usually include appendicitis, bloating, fluid buildup in the abdomen, increase in waist size, pain in the abdomen or pelvis, changes in bowel habits, nausea, vomiting and a tendency to feel full. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), risk factors for cancer in general include alcohol usage, HPV and obesity, which is associated with a higher risk of 13 types of cancer. These include adenocarcinoma of the esophagus, breast, colon/rectum, uterus, gallbladder, upper stomach, kidneys, liver, ovaries, pancreas, thyroid, meningioma, and multiple myeloma. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about appendiceal adenocarcinoma? Let us know via science@ Reference Holowatyj, A. N., Washington, M. K., Goldberg, R. M., & Murphy, C. C. (2025). Birth cohort effects in appendiceal adenocarcinoma incidence across the United States. Annals of Internal Medicine, 178(7).
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Appendix cancers on the rise in younger generations, study finds
Although they are very rare, cancers of the appendix are on the rise, a new study finds. An analysis of a National Cancer Institute database found that compared with older generations, rates of appendix cancer have tripled among Gen X and quadrupled among millennials, according to the report, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 'There is a disproportionate burden of appendix cancer among young individuals,' said the study's lead author, Andreana Holowatyj, an assistant professor of hematology and oncology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. Holowatyj's earlier research was 'the first to show that 1 in every 3 appendix cancers is diagnosed among adults younger than age 50,' she said in a phone interview. 'That's compared to 1 in every 8 colorectal cancers diagnosed among adults younger than age 50.' Still, appendix cancers are extremely rare: According to the National Cancer Institute, they occur at a rate of 1 to 2 per million people in the United States a year. To see whether rates of the cancer had changed over time, Holowatyj turned to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, which includes data from nationally representative cancer registries that cover about 45.9% of the U.S. population. Overall, there were 4,858 cases of appendix cancer from 1975 through 2019. When the large proportion of patients diagnosed between ages 18 and 49 is combined with the new finding of a generational rise in Gen X and millennials, it's 'important that we find the causes underpinning these statistics in order to reverse this trend and reduce the disease burden,' Holowatyj said. The new study further confirms that there is a trend toward younger and younger patients from recent generations being hit with gastrointestinal cancers, said Dr. Andrea Cercek, a medical oncologist and a co-director of the Center for Early Onset Colorectal and GI Cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In particular, rates of colorectal cancer in younger adults have been rising for several decades. The cause for the rise in such GI cancers needs more research. 'It's likely that there are environmental causes, which include exposures to food, water and micro plastics or lifestyle or dietary changes,' said Cercek, who wasn't involved with the new research. 'You can't really pin it down to one thing or another. It's likely multiple factors causing this rise after 1945.' The appendix is a small pouch that hangs off the large intestine on the lower right side of the abdomen. A blockage can lead to infection and inflammation, called appendicitis, which needs emergency treatment. Unlike other cancers of the GI tract, appendix cancers aren't easily found because they're not as easy to see on abdominal scans and won't be picked up by colonoscopies, said Dr. Deborah Doroshow, an associate professor of medicine at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 'So it's not easy to detect or screen for them.' In fact, Holowatyj said, about 95% of appendix cancers aren't spotted until after a person has appendicitis and the appendix is removed and examined by pathologists. As a result, the cancers tend to be at a late stage with poorer long-term prognoses, she added. Doroshow, who wasn't involved with the new study, said it's important for patients and their doctors to be more aware of subtle symptoms. Symptoms such as changes in energy level, a new persistent pain or unexplained weight loss in a young person shouldn't be ignored, she said. 'If a person is feeling that something is not right it's always best to get an opinion,' Doroshow said. 'We've diagnosed young people with cancer whom other health care providers had not taken seriously because they were young.' Women and people of color may find they need to advocate for themselves, she added. Doroshow said people shouldn't be worrying about every single abdominal pain. Rather, it's persistent pain that would be a concern. This article was originally published on
New York Post
a day ago
- Health
- New York Post
Appendix cancer has quadrupled in older millennials in the US
Researchers are reporting a startling spike in appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) — otherwise known as appendix cancer — in people born after 1945. Cases have more than tripled in Americans born between 1980 and 1985 and quadrupled in those born between 1985 and 1990, according to a new study out of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. 'I think it's alarming,' study author Andreana N. Holowatyj, an assistant professor of hematology and oncology, told The Post. Advertisement 3 A new study has identified an alarming spike in appendiceal adenocarcinoma (AA) — otherwise known as appendix cancer — in people born after 1945. top images – Appendix cancer is very rare, estimated to affect only about one or two people per 1 million per year, according to the National Cancer Institute. Indeed, Holowatyj's team identified only 4,858 people aged 20 and over who were diagnosed with AA between 1975 and 2019. Advertisement The findings, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, are nonetheless part of a troublesome trend. AA is yet another type of cancer that seems to be on the rise in younger adults — joining the ranks of colorectal, breast, uterine, kidney and pancreatic cancers. 'I think the fact that we're seeing birth cohort or generational effects across a plethora of cancer types is indeed alarming because it really stresses the need to understand what is underpinning this pattern in order for us to be able to actively reverse it,' Holowatyj said. 3 Experts point to lifestyle changes, such as more sedentary behavior, as a possible cause of the rise in cancer cases in younger people. StockPhotoPro – Advertisement As with other cancers, health experts aren't exactly sure what could be causing the jump in AA cases. 'I think it's going to be a constellation of factors that may be driving appendiceal cancer development,' Holowatyj said. 'One of the things we often think about is, what has changed across birth cohorts over time?' she said. Advertisement Holowatyj pointed to '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.' Whatever the cause, she hopes this study encourages the public to be 'aware of this cancer, to know about the signs and symptoms of appendix cancers and know that we're seeing more cases diagnosed across generations.' 3 Most AA cases are diagnosed incidentally after someone has their appendix removed. Avocado_studio – Many of these symptoms can mimic appendicitis: Abdominal pain, often on the lower right side Bloating, diarrhea or constipation Feeling full after small meals Unexplained weight loss Nausea and vomiting Abdominal mass or swelling Holowatyj hopes that people with symptoms 'see a healthcare professional in a timely manner because it's truly critical to detect appendix cancer early.' There are no standardized screening tests for appendix cancers — most cases are diagnosed incidentally after someone has their appendix removed. 'I think it's important to understand that appendix cancer is actually diagnosed in younger ages more commonly than we see in other cancers,' she said, noting that one in three patients diagnosed with appendix cancer is under the age of 50, compared to one in eight for colon cancer.
NBC News
a day ago
- Health
- NBC News
Appendix cancers on the rise in younger generations, study finds
Although they are very rare, cancers of the appendix are on the rise, a new study finds. An analysis of a National Cancer Institute database found that compared with older generations, rates of appendix cancer have tripled among Gen X and quadrupled among millennials, according to the report, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 'There is a disproportionate burden of appendix cancer among young individuals,' said the study's lead author, Andreana Holowatyj, an assistant professor of hematology and oncology at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. Holowatyj's earlier research was 'the first to show that 1 in every 3 appendix cancers is diagnosed among adults younger than age 50,' she said in a phone interview. 'That's compared to 1 in every 8 colorectal cancers diagnosed among adults younger than age 50.' Still, appendix cancers are extremely rare: According to the National Cancer Institute, they occur at a rate of 1 to 2 per million people in the United States a year. To see whether rates of the cancer had changed over time, Holowatyj turned to the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, which includes data from nationally representative cancer registries that cover about 45.9% of the U.S. population. Overall, there were 4,858 cases of appendix cancer from 1975 through 2019. When the large proportion of patients diagnosed between ages 18 and 49 is combined with the new finding of a generational rise in Gen X and millennials, it's 'important that we find the causes underpinning these statistics in order to reverse this trend and reduce the disease burden,' Holowatyj said. The new study further confirms that there is a trend toward younger and younger patients from recent generations being hit with gastrointestinal cancers, said Dr. Andrea Cercek, a medical oncologist and a co-director of the Center for Early Onset Colorectal and GI Cancers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. In particular, rates of colorectal cancer in younger adults have been rising for several decades. The cause for the rise in such GI cancers needs more research. 'It's likely that there are environmental causes, which include exposures to food, water and micro plastics or lifestyle or dietary changes,' said Cercek, who wasn't involved with the new research. 'You can't really pin it down to one thing or another. It's likely multiple factors causing this rise after 1945.' The appendix is a small pouch that hangs off the large intestine on the lower right side of the abdomen. A blockage can lead to infection and inflammation, called appendicitis, which needs emergency treatment. Unlike other cancers of the GI tract, appendix cancers aren't easily found because they're not as easy to see on abdominal scans and won't be picked up by colonoscopies, said Dr. Deborah Doroshow, an associate professor of medicine at the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 'So it's not easy to detect or screen for them.' In fact, Holowatyj said, about 95% of appendix cancers aren't spotted until after a person has appendicitis and the appendix is removed and examined by pathologists. As a result, the cancers tend to be at a late stage with poorer long-term prognoses, she added. Doroshow, who wasn't involved with the new study, said it's important for patients and their doctors to be more aware of subtle symptoms. Symptoms such as changes in energy level, a new persistent pain or unexplained weight loss in a young person shouldn't be ignored, she said. 'If a person is feeling that something is not right it's always best to get an opinion,' Doroshow said. 'We've diagnosed young people with cancer whom other health care providers had not taken seriously because they were young.' Women and people of color may find they need to advocate for themselves, she added.
