Appendix Cancer Treatment Options

Many patients will benefit from surgery.

When you have appendix cancer, you want the most effective treatment. We offer innovative surgical techniques and treatment options, including cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC, for even the most aggressive and rare appendix cancer. 

Our multidisciplinary tumor board meets to create a personalized treatment plan to offer you the best possible outcome. 

Personalized appendix cancer surgical treatments

Surgery is often the main therapy for appendix cancer. Our surgeons specialize in the treatment of appendix cancer, offering some of the most advance surgical therapies available.  

• Cytoreductive (tumor-removing) surgery, may be performed for certain appendiceal tumors that are amenable to this aspect of surgery. In addition to resecting any necessary organ involved with this disease, cytoreductive surgery also removes the lining of the abdominal cavity, the tumor and surrounding fluid, if present, as well as any organs that are inseparable from the tumor -- such as parts of the intestine, gallbladder, spleen, ovaries, and uterus.
• Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy, or HIPEC, is a heated chemotherapy that is administered at the time of cytoreductive cancer surgery. This innovative but aggressive treatment targets and destroys microscopic cancer cells that cannot be seen by the human eye. Destroying these cells can prevent them from later coming back as new cancer tumors.
• Appendectomy, or removal of the appendix. This surgery may effectively remove the cancer for tumors that have not spread to other organs. 
• Hemicolectomy. This is often an option for carcinoid tumors and appendix tumors larger than 2cm. The procedure is performed in addition to an appendectomy. It involves the removal of the part of the colon next to the appendix.

Chemotherapy for appendix cancer 

Chemotherapy may be part of your treatment plan. Based on the underlying nature of your tumor, our medical oncology experts on your appendix cancer team will tailor a therapy that would provide the optimal outcome.  

Radiation therapy for appendix cancer 

In certain instances, radiation therapy may be recommended for the treatment of your appendix cancer.  If your treatment plan includes radiation therapy, you will meet with your radiation oncologists who will provide you with best treatment options.