Extremely rare type of cancer has quadrupled in millennials as 'tip of the iceberg' warning is issued

Medical experts have issued a warning about a somewhat niche cancer variant which is said to be on the rise within two particular age groups.

According to a new Annals of Internal Medicine study, this specific strain has a propensity for affecting members of the Gen X community (which describes individuals born between 1965 and 1980), with cases tripling in this age group that year compared to 1940s babies.

In Millennials (people born between the early 1980s and the mid-1990s), meanwhile, this figure was found to have quadrupled in comparison.

We are, of course, talking about appendix cancer.

Despite being an organ that most people fail to consider unless doctors rule that it needs to be removed due to conditions like appendicitis, cancer originating in the appendix is understood to have been steadily on the rise for some time now.

And as we say, this is specifically said to be the case in individuals aged between 29 and 60 years old.

The appendix forms part of the digestive system (Getty Stock Image)

What is appendix cancer?

For those in need of a reminder, appendix cancer unfolds when cells in this finger-shaped segment of a person's digestive system - which is located on the lower right side of your abdomen, near the junction of the large and small intestine - mutate and spread out of control.

This can cause them to result in a full-fledged tumour forming.

The study's findings:

Apparently, the cancer figures from the 2025 study are only the 'tip of the iceberg', being that experts are now starting to second guess what was once considered an extremely rare form if cancer.

The author of the 2025 study Andreana Holowatyj - assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center - previously explained: "We estimate about 3,000 new cases of appendix cancer are diagnosed every year."

She emphasised that, in comparison, the National Cancer Institute estimated around 320,000 new cases of breast cancer this year.

Despite this disparity in numbers, Holowatj went on to emphasise the need to uncover what exactly is causing this stark rise in appendix cancer figures.

Appendix cancer is one of rarest variations of the disease (Getty Stock Image)

"We’re just at the tip of the iceberg for this disease," she went on to explain.

"We’re working to begin to unpack [the risk factors] because these rising trends will be important to understanding what’s driving the increase in this disease."

Why do doctors believe appendix cancer is on the rise?

Medics have not yet been able to uncover a certifiable reason as to why this particular cancer strain seems to be increasingly popular amongst younger generations.

A number of theories have suggested, however, that like in colon and rectal cancer cases, this could be attributed to the ever-growing reliance on ultra-processed foods, much of which older generations didn't have access to.

This group describes food which contains colour/flavour additives and pollutants, which a study conducted by Gut last year were found to have a direct link with inflammation.

Some have suggested that ultra processed food should be attributed to a rise in appendix cancer cases (Getty Stock Image)

Christopher G. Cann - an assistant professor with a focus on gastrointestinal cancers at Fox Chase Cancer Center - also believes environmental factors could be at play.

In his work, he references the potential impact that microplastic consumption over the course of someone's lifetime could have upon the body and its organs.

Other medics have suggested basic lifestyle factors might also be at play when it comes to appendix cancer diagnoses, including smoking, the amount of alcohol a person consumes, their diet and exercise routine.

What are the symptoms of appendix cancer?

The most common indicators of this particular form of cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, include stomach pain, bloating, nausea or vomiting, as well as feeling full quickly after eating.

The issue is, however, that these symptoms also align with other ailments, like irritable bowel syndrome.

Appendix cancer has similar symptoms to other health conditions (Getty Stock Images)

As such, many people rely on screenings to receive certifiable diagnoses, which themselves aren't offered out willy-nilly due to the rarity of the strain compared to other cancers.

Touching on this, Cann explained: "Awareness needs to increase in physicians. If someone is having rectal bleeding, we can't just assume haemorrhoids. If someone is having persistent constipation, we can't just assume it’s dietary. Referral to a GI specialist who can do a thorough evaluation is what's needed."

Holowatyj agreed, as per National Geographic: "I think it's really important for providers and general practitioners to be mindful of this increase [in appendix cancer cases], particularly in younger patients, and when they see a young patient presenting with these symptoms, work to rule it out.

"Knowledge and education of this rare disease is a challenge overall."

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