Appendiceal Cancer Risk Factors & Prevention
Risk Factors
A risk factor is any factor that increases the likelihood of developing a disease. Different types of cancer have their own specific risk factors. While some, such as lifestyle choices like smoking or dietary habits, can be modified, others—such as age or genetic predisposition—are beyond your control (American Cancer Society, n.d.).
Here are no known risk factors for this disease, or at least that they are confirmed to directly cause the appendiceal cancer. However, it is believed that the following risk factors do cause the development of appendiceal cancer:
- Smoking: Smokers are more likely to develop appendix cancer than nonsmokers.
- Family history: Patients who have a family history of appendix cancer.
- Medical history: Often, patients with diagnosis such as anaemia or atrophic gastritis are at greater risk of developing appendiceal cancer.
- Age: belonging to higher age group could raises the chance for developing appendix cancer.
- Gender: Women are more likely to develop carcinoid tumours than men.
Literature
1. Marmor, S., Portschy, P. R., Tuttle, T. M., & Virnig, B. A. (2015). The rise in appendiceal cancer incidence: 2000–2009. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, 19(4), 743–750. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11605-014-2726-7