APPENDIX CANCER

Course overview

APPENDICEAL MALIGNANCIES ARE A RARE GROUP OF TUMORS OFTEN FOUND INCIDENTALLY DURING SURGICAL REMOVAL OF THE APPENDIX. HISTOLOGICALLY, THIS MALIGNANCY ACCOUNTS FOR 0.5% TO 1% OF ALL BIOPSY SPECIMENS FOLLOWING APPENDECTOMIES. CLINICALLY, THIS CONDITION MOST COMMONLY PRESENTS AS ACUTE APPENDICITIS DUE TO OBSTRUCTION OF THE APPENDICEAL LUMEN. AS IT IS FOR ALL MALIGNANCIES, EARLY DETECTION IS CRITICAL AS THE LATE DIAGNOSIS COULD LEAD TO MUCH POORER OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY SEEKS TO QUANTIFY AND DEFINE APPENDICEAL MALIGNANCIES. IT DESCRIBES CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THESE DISEASE PROCESSES. IT HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN TREATING PATIENTS WITH THESE CONDITIONS.