Treatment

Before planning your treatment, your healthcare provider will take into account factors such as the size and stage of the tumour, your overall health, and your personal preferences (Govaerts et al., 2021, p. 11). Treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) neuroendocrine tumours in the appendix may include the following:

• Appendectomy: This procedure involves removing the appendix and may be sufficient for treating small tumours that are less than 1 or 2 centimetres in size.
• Hemicolectomy: For larger or more aggressive tumours, a hemicolectomy may be necessary. This surgery involves removing part of the large intestine, along with the appendix and nearby lymph nodes.
• Cytoreductive (Debulking) Surgery: If the cancer has spread across the abdomen, more extensive surgery may be required. The surgeon will aim to remove as much of the tumour as possible, including affected parts of surrounding organs.

Appendiceal cancer can also be treater with pharmaceutical drugs as well. Depending on the size, but if the cancer wasn’t removed fully due to it’s location or some other complication, additional treatment may be includes, such as:

• Chemotherapy: This treatment uses drugs to kill cancer cells that have spread beyond the appendix or may remain after surgery. It can be administered via injection or in pill form.
• Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC): HIPEC is a chemotherapy treatment performed during surgery, where heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated in the abdomen for enhanced effectiveness.
• Targeted Drug Therapy: This treatment targets specific cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells.