Appendix Cancer Diagnosis

Accurate diagnosis and testing to identify appendix cancer. 

Finding appendix cancer early -- before it has a chance to spread to other areas of the body, or metastasize – offers the best chance of beating cancer with powerful and effective appendix cancer treatment options. 

Most appendix cancers are discovered unexpectedly during surgery or when tests are performed for other reasons, such as diagnosing or treating acute appendicitis; others are found when an abdominal mass is seen during a CT scan for an unrelated condition.

There are no screening tests for appendix cancer.

Diagnosis of appendix cancer

Many people do not experience any noticeable symptoms of appendix cancer at an early stage. Some symptoms that could be signs of appendix cancer include severe abdominal pain or bloating. If you experience these symptoms it is important to seek immediate medical attention. 

If your doctor suspects that you may have appendix cancer, you may need one or more lab or medical imaging tests. Some of the tests we use when diagnosing appendix cancer include:

• Blood chemistry
• Urinalysis (urine testing)
• Ultrasound
• CT (computerized tomography)
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan 
• PET (positron emission tomography) scan

If appendix cancer is suspected, your doctor may order a biopsy to confirm an appendix cancer diagnosis.