Doctors are reporting a surprising increase in appendix cancer rates among millennials and Generation X, indicating that a higher disease burden may affect younger generations.
Appendiceal adenocarcinoma is a rare form of appendix cancer which sees a malignant tumour originate in the appendix’s lining and secrete a mucus-like substance.
The appendix is a small tubular organ in the gut historically considered vestigial in humans. It harbours glandular tissues that are known to be susceptible to becoming cancerous.
This type of cancer is often diagnosed incidentally or at advanced stages because of nonspecific symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits.
Researchers say people born after 1945 in the US, particularly G X and millennials, are experiencing a significant increase in cases of appendiceal adenocarcinoma, indicating a concerning and previously unrecognised trend.
A study published recently in Annals of Internal Medicine assessed the incidence of appendix cancer from 1975 to 2019 among people born in various time periods after the second world war to understand how its risk evolved over the years.
They assessed data from 4,858 patients, aged 20 years or older, diagnosed with appendix cancer.
The patients were categorised into five-year age groups to create 21 overlapping birth categories.
Their tumours varied, with types in which the cell mass produced mucous and those in which the cancer cells did not shed mucous as well as other subtypes.
The researchers found that compared to the 1945 birth cohort, the cancer incidence more than tripled in individuals born around 1980 and “astonishingly quadrupled” by the birth cohort of 1985.
The magnitude of rise also appeared to vary among the cancer subtypes.
The researchers suggest that environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that intensified after the second world war may explain the concerning increase in appendix cancer rates. They point to dietary patterns, gut bacteria alterations, greater prevalence of conditions inflaming the gastrointestinal tract in particular.
“Similar trends have been reported for other gastrointestinal cancers, suggestive of potential shared cause contributing to this increasing cancer burden across generations,” the study noted.
It calls for more research to unravel these associations, particularly involving genomics data to uncover mechanisms driving the alarming trend.
They also urge physicians to revisit screening protocols and develop early detection biomarkers to facilitate timely diagnosis and treatment.
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