“There’s a general lack of awareness,” said Raoof.
Patients may not even realize it’s happening. Eventually, the appendix may rupture, not an abrupt “pop” as in appendicitis, but a slower, gradual process in which the mucin oozes out and spreads throughout the abdomen, filling the belly and blocking organ function, as well as spreading cancer cells. The rarest type, epithelial appendiceal cancer, which grows from the cells that make up the lining of the appendix, leads to a buildup of mucin - a gel-forming component of mucus - inside the appendix. This cancer also differs molecularly from colon cancer, and it behaves differently as well. Standard screening tests for colon cancer don’t reach far enough to detect most appendiceal malignancies. “But there’s no specific risk factor, like smoking, nor any proven risk factor that you can minimize.”Īppendix cancer is hard to diagnose in its early stages. For now, though, “We think the majority of cases are environment-related,” he said. Raoof’s laboratory is examining the genomic makeup of appendiceal cancer cells. In about 10% of cases, there is a mutation in germline (inherited) DNA, but its implications are not clear. No one is certain why people get appendiceal cancer. “That’s less than one percent of all gastrointestinal cancers.” “Our best estimate is that there are about 1,500 cases of appendiceal cancer a year in the U.S.,” said surgical oncologist Mustafa Raoof, M.D., M.S., assistant professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, at City of Hope and a recognized authority on appendiceal cancer. Mustafa Raoof, M.D., M.S., assistant professor, Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery “My husband and I just looked at each other, flabbergasted.”Ī biopsy showed Diaz did not have ovarian cancer, but a much rarer malignancy: Stage 4 cancer of the appendix that had spread to other parts of her abdomen. “The doctor said I had two masses, one near an ovary, another near my liver,” she recalled. When they followed up with a computed tomography scan, it became clear that this was not appendicitis.
Once on the ground, Diaz shared her suspicions at a nearby emergency room. At first, I thought this was just appendicitis.” “I’m a very positive person,” she explained. In just a few short seconds, the inspirational footage trumpets a triumph by Diaz over a cancer she didn’t know she had, a cancer few have even heard of.īack in May 2022, Diaz, a 53-year-old real estate appraiser and online reseller from Rancho Cucamonga, California, was flying to Chicago when she began experiencing severe abdominal pain. “I believe the relatability of cancer is what made the video get so many views.”
“After posting it, I had so many comments with people praying for her,” said Jessica. To date, the video has been viewed over 4 million times. “My mommy is a warrior! She survived the mother of all surgeries! They removed eight organs … to get rid of the Stage 4 cancer! She’s now into month two of a four-month recovery!” Only when captions begin to appear do you realize you’re watching a daughter’s tribute to her mother, Violet Diaz, dancing alongside her. The TikTok video featuring a joyous Jessica Diaz resembles so many others of the same style: two attractive women showing off their dance moves as a Beyoncé tune undulates in the background.
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