The first time I visited Puerto Vallarta and laid by the beach, I noticed that more people had appendicitis’ scars on them than usual. I know, it sounds funny and very politically incorrect, but it’s true. I jokingly thought it was because of the Coronas, the “carnitas”, and the cheese quesadillas. Little did I know that I was not only right, but also on the right track to find out the link between appendicitis and a higher risk of cancer.
The Appendix.
The appendix is a lymphoid organ that opens into the first part of the large intestine. For many years, the appendix was believed to be a vestigial organ that served no function, but that is no longer the belief. Could it be the key to understanding the relationship between bacteria, cancer, and the immune system?
There are at least two approaches on why this little tiny part of our bodies is so vital.
In the fetus, the appendix contains endocrine cells that manufacture hormones and other important body chemicals. In young adults, the appendix is believed to play a part in the functioning of the immune system. It is involved in the maturation of B lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and assists in producing an antibody called immunoglobulin A. This antibody can neutralize viruses, bind toxins, agglutinate bacteria, prevent bacteria from binding to mucosal cells and entering general circulation. Immunoglobulin A deficientcy reflects in episodes of infections (recurrent or chronic sinus or lung infections), chronic diarrhea or malabsorption, drug allergies, autoimmune or atopic disease, and respiratory tract infections.
Another approach states that the appendix serves as a haven for useful recovering beneficial bacteria when illness flushes those bacteria from the rest of the intestines, as in the case of severe diarrhea, preventing harmful bacteria from taking root and creating disease. The appendix is surrounded with copious amounts of immune tissue, which corroborates the fact that the immune system supports the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria.
It’s the Diet!
Appendicitis is primarily caused by improper diet, not by a stroke of luck as the majority of us always believed. Most cases involve a blockage of the large intestine resulting from a fiber-deficient diet. This blockage inside the colon is usually caused by fecalomas, which are stones made of hardened feces. These sickening fecalomas may appear whenever chronic obstruction of transit occurs, such as in chronic constipation due to a diet poor in fiber and high is fat and refined carbohydrates, for example. The blockage stops the natural flow of fluids, which facilitates the growth of harmful bacteria from the intestinal tract, resulting in the rotting of the appendix, literally.
How About Cancer?
How about the relationship between appendicitis and cancer? Can appendicitis be a useful predictor of large bowel and other cancers. Would the removing of the appendix increase cancer risk by diminishing immune function? In 1964, a study was published showing that appendectomized patients had an increased risk for colon cancer. Since then, about half of the large number of case-control studies have shown a positive association of appendix removal to one or more cancer sites (colon, rectum, stomach, lung, breast, ovary, leukemia, and lymphoma), although there is no conclusive answer to know exactly how much of a risk. In another study, patients with various forms of cancer showed an increased frequency of appendectomies compared to the normal rates, suggesting a possible link between their diseases and the health of the appendix.
I have no doubt that the removal of this organ increases the risks of developing cancer, and that cancer affects the health of the appendix at the same time. The fact that the appendix is so closely linked to the lymphatic immune system, is a generator of powerful antibodies, and guards the intestinal flora for possible overdrafts make its condition or ultimate removal a serious cancer-risk factor to contemplate. Considering the high frequency of appendicitis in the world, I believe the question of how much of a cancer risk its removal represents might be a very serious one.
Lessons
The most important lesson here might be the fact that appendicitis doesn’t happen just because. The majority of them are caused by dietary self-indulgence. The second most important lesson is that appendix removal is not a meaningless surgical procedure that carries no consequences whatsoever. In fact, it will handicap your systems and increase your cancer risk.
My dad’s Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma might be caused by the degenerative effects of his possible Celiac condition, but the fact that he suffered appendicitis in his youth, and the fact his own dad died from it, might well be a contributing factor for the final malignancy.
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Suggested Reading:
- Wikipedia: Appendicitis, Fecaloma, and Vermiform Appendix
- Purpose of appendix believed found
- Appendix May Actually Have a Purpose
- The frequency of tonsillectomy and appendectomy in cancer patients
- More Appendicitis
- Cancer risk following appendectomy for acute appendicitis
- Appendectomy, Appendicitis, and Large Bowel Cancer
- Cancer Risk Following Appendectomy for Acute Appendicitis
May 30, 2009 at 8:11 am
Interesting.
With out numbers it is hard to way the consequence of removal.
Prevention is a good idea.
Once the appendix is inflamed the danger of peritonitis is great. My uncle died of one.
September 19, 2009 at 7:45 pm
It looks like this article is a pretty good example of misinformation and the danger of pretending to make scientifical medical conclusions based on paltry evidence. Studies involving over 100,000 people who have had their appendix removed reported that there is no significant effect upon rates of bowl cancer.
It is somewhat disturbing that people like yourself can make such assertions that fly in the face of medical research.
I think that you have a responsibility to correct your web site to reflect scientific fact, since, as it stands this article destroys any claim of credibility.