What to know about appendiceal cancer

Plus more health news | Email not displaying correctly? [View it in your browser.]( [Health Matters]( [What to know about the disease that killed actor Adan Canto]( By Haley Weiss Health Reporter The actor Adan Canto, best known for his work on Designated Survivor and other network dramas, died this week at just 42 years old following treatment for a rare form of intestinal cancer. Appendiceal cancer, which occurs in the appendix, is particularly uncommon in people under 50, says Dr. Alok Khorana, a medical oncologist and colorectal cancer researcher at the Cleveland Clinic. The disease is about as mysterious as the organ itself, but there are a few key things that make it distinct from other cancers: - Because the appendix doesn’t serve a critical function, no bodily process gets messed up when a tumor appears. In most cases, appendiceal cancer is spotted only after a burst appendix (or one causing significant pain) is removed and then tested. - When it is caught early, appendiceal cancer can be easily treatable. No other organ in the body can be removed with next-to-no consequences. - No screening process yet exists. Though the appendix is attached to the colon, a colonoscopy can't reach it, and there’s no real genetic component to the cancers that form there. Because of appendicial cancer’s random nature, Khorana says it’s important to never brush aside pressing GI concerns—especially pain in the lower right quadrant of your abdomen. [READ THE REST]( Share This Story WHAT ELSE TO READ [Is It Dangerous to Keep Getting COVID-19?]( By Alice Park Common as they are, reinfections may have lasting impacts. [Read More »]( [Are You Taking Too Many Medications? How to Trim Your Prescription List]( By Nick Schneeman Polypharmacy—when one patient takes multiple drugs—can contribute to health issues, Dr. Nick Schneeman writes. [Read More »]( [California Lawmakers to Consider a Ban on Tackle Football for Kids Under 12]( By ADAM BEAM / AP The bill is supported by advocates seeking to protect kids from brain damage. [Read More »]( [What to Know About Orienteering, the ‘Thinking Sport’]( By Angela Haupt Orienteering combines exercise with navigating through unfamiliar terrain, which benefits brain health. [Read More »]( [How to Maintain Your Social Life When You Have IBD]( By Elizabeth Millard Keeping connections strong can boost your health, but it's challenging when you're anxious about flare-ups. [Read More »]( AN EXPERT VOICE "If you think you've been exposed [to COVID-19], put on a mask until you're sure [you're not sick]. If you're highly susceptible to severe disease and you're going grocery shopping, put on a mask to help yourself feel better. [And] it certainly makes sense for medical institutions, nursing homes, and retirement communities to consider mask mandates, because they're places where lots of people at high risk for serious disease are coming together." —Andrew Pekosz, virologist at Johns Hopkins University, on when to mask at this stage of the pandemic If you were forwarded this and want to sign up to receive it daily, [click here](. Today's newsletter was written by Haley Weiss and Jamie Ducharme, and edited by Mandy Oaklander. [Want more from TIME? Sign up for our other newsletters.]( [Subscribe to TIME]( TIME may receive compensation for some links to products and services in this email. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Connect with TIME via [Facebook]( | [Twitter]( | [Newsletters]( [UNSUBSCRIBE]( [PRIVACY POLICY]( [YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS]( TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508, Boone, IA 50037-0508 Questions? Contact health@time.com Copyright © 2024 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved.