Appendiceal Cancer Symptoms and Diagnosis
Diagnosis
Primary appendiceal neoplasms (aNENs) are difficult to detect radiologically until large enough for CT scanning and because they have few symptoms.
If you start showing that you have symptoms which appoint to you having a appendiceal cancer, your healthcare professional will do the physical examination and take a look into your medical history (Govaerts et al., 2021, p. 11).
Once determined that you might have Appendiceal cancer, your doctor will conduct imaging tests to see if there is a visible tumour in or around the appendix. Your doctor might perform one of the following imaging tests:
- Computed Tomography (CT) scan: uses X-rays to take detailed pictures of your body, revealing any abnormal areas in your appendix.
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan: creates pictures using magnetism and radio waves, revealing any abnormal areas in your appendix.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scan: a slightly radioactive (but harmless) form of sugar (known as FDG) is injected into the blood and collects mainly in cancer cells. These areas of radioactivity can be seen on a PET scan using a special camera.
Literature
1. Govaerts, K., Lurvink, R. J., De Hingh, I. H. J. T., Van der Speeten, K., Villeneuve, L., Kusamura, S., Kepenekian, V., Deraco, M., Glehen, O., Moran, B. J., & PSOGI (2021). Appendiceal tumours and pseudomyxoma peritonei: Literature review with PSOGI/EURACAN clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis and treatment. European journal of surgical oncology : the journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology, 47(1), 11–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejso.2020.02.012