--- description: Researchers document generational differences, and higher rates of appendix cancer, among younger people. title: Appendix Cancer Has Quadrupled in Millennials image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c0daf3aef44a8ea/6998c74f93610c8c2ec2fb3c/GettyImages-1682974946.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Cancer](/tag/cancer/) ## Cancer Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Appendix Cancer Has Quadrupled in Millennials  by [Alice Park](/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Updated: Jun 10, 2025 4:48 PM CUTPublished: Jun 9, 2025 9:00 PM CUT  Female appendix, illustration Female appendix, illustrationScience Photo Library—Getty Images  by [Alice Park](/author/alice-park/)  ## Alice Park Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Updated: Jun 10, 2025 4:48 PM CUTPublished: Jun 9, 2025 9:00 PM CUT Cancer is generally a disease of old age. But researchers are increasingly finding that certain types—including colon, breast, stomach, and pancreatic cancers—are [hitting people younger than 50](https://time.com/7213490/why-are-young-people-getting-cancer/ "undefined") far more commonly than they used to. In a new [report](https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02479 "undefined"), published in the _Annals of Internal Medicine_, researchers at Vanderbilt University focus on a relatively rare cancer—appendiceal cancer, which occurs in the appendix—and found that its rates are also rising, especially among millennials. Andreana Holowatyj, assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and her colleagues analyzed data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results program, a cancer registry that includes patients from 1975 to 2019\. The scope of the dataset allowed them to look for generational differences in cancer rates. They specifically tracked appendix cancer, which for many years was misclassified as colorectal cancer since the appendix sits at the start of the large intestine. Recent [studies](https://time.com/6259558/colon-cancer-younger-adults/ "undefined") have shown an increase in colorectal cancers among those under 50, and Holowatyj wanted to learn if the same trend was occurring for appendix cancer. “We don’t know what the risk factors are for appendix cancer, and seeing whether there are generational effects could help us to continue to put the pieces together of this complex puzzle,” she says. **Read More**: [_The Race to Explain Why More Young Adults Are Getting Cancer_](https://time.com/7213490/why-are-young-people-getting-cancer/ "undefined") In their analysis, which involved more than 4,800 people diagnosed with appendix cancer, rates of the cancer tripled among those born in 1980—and quadrupled among those born in 1985—compared to people born in 1945\. Rates increased in every birth cohort after 1945\. In that time, rates of appendectomies remained about the same, which the researchers say largely rules out the possibility that more cases were detected from appendectomies performed. It's likely not a single factor but the interaction of several that contributes to an increased cancer risk in this age group, such as rising rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome as well as environmental exposures, Holowatyj says. “The challenging thing now is to disentangle not only what these exposures are, but what molecular changes these exposures cause, and what the consequences of those changes are on our cells that may end up increasing the risk of carcinogenesis,” she says. Much more data is needed to better understand appendiceal cancer, and that starts with greater awareness and better diagnosis. Because it’s rarer than colorectal cancer, Holowatyj says health care professionals and the public should be more attuned to potential symptoms and not ignore or dismiss them. These can include general complaints like bloating, changes in bowel movements, and loss of appetite. If they persist, people should see their doctor. Half of appendix cancers are diagnosed after it has already spread, so being more vigilant and intervening early could lead to better outcomes. “While rare, appendix cancer is rising,” she says. “Individuals know their bodies best, and if they experience any changes or symptoms, those aren’t things they should overlook." **Correction, June 10** _The original version of the story misspelled the last name of assistant professor of hematology and oncology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It is Holowatyj, not Holowatyji._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7292279/appendix-cancer-rising-millennials/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7292279/appendix-cancer-rising-millennials/"},"headline":"Appendix Cancer Has Quadrupled in Millennials","datePublished":"2025-06-09T21:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2025-06-10T16:48:52.000Z","description":"Researchers document generational differences, and higher rates, among younger people.","url":"https://time.com/7292279/appendix-cancer-rising-millennials/","keywords":["Cancer","healthscienceclimate"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c0daf3aef44a8ea/6998c74f93610c8c2ec2fb3c/GettyImages-1682974946.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alice Park","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/alice-park/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c0daf3aef44a8ea/6998c74f93610c8c2ec2fb3c/GettyImages-1682974946.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"GettyImages-1682974946.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Science Photo Library—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/cancer/","name":"Cancer"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7292279/appendix-cancer-rising-millennials/","name":"Appendix Cancer Has Quadrupled in Millennials"}}]}] ```