Appendix Cancer: What You Need to Know About a Rare but Serious Diagnosis

An Overlooked Cancer in a Forgotten Organ

Appendix cancer is rare (1–2 per million annually), but in Nigeria's context of limited screening and late-stage diagnosis, awareness matters. Types include carcinoid (neuroendocrine) tumours — the most common, typically slow-growing and often found incidentally during appendectomy — and mucinous cystadenoma/adenocarcinoma, which if they rupture can spread mucin throughout the abdomen.

Symptoms That Warrant Investigation

• Recurrent right lower quadrant abdominal pain
• Unexplained abdominal bloating that persists or worsens
• A palpable mass in the right lower abdomen
• Appendicitis found to contain a tumour on pathology

Prevention and the Functional Medicine Perspective

The same factors that drive colorectal cancer apply: chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, processed food diets, and reduced fibre intake. FXMed's Gut Repair Programme addresses the inflammatory gut environment linked to gastrointestinal cancers, while our Functional Health Analysis tracks inflammation markers and supports evidence-based cancer prevention strategies.