The news that actor Adan Canto — known for his roles in "Designated Survivor" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" — died earlier this month at age 42, after a battle with appendix cancer, is raising awareness of the relatively rare disease.
According to the National Cancer Institute, appendix cancer — also known as appendiceal cancer — affects one to two people per 1 million per year, as opposed to the nearly 300,000 people who get breast cancer or the more than 150,000 who get colorectal cancer.
Though some appendiceal cancers have a fairly high survival rate — as high as 67% to 97% — the disease still can result in death, especially when it is discovered late.
We spoke with University of Colorado Cancer Center member Steven Ahrendt, MD, professor of surgical oncology, about how appendiceal cancer is diagnosed and treated.