CASE AT A GLANCE
Colon Cancer of the Appendix
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Case Overview:
This case involved a man in his 40’s with a history of chronic Crohn’s disease in his colon. He was being followed with colonoscopies every couple of years since he was in his mid 30’s. He had polyps biopsied during these colonoscopies with no issues. He was then found to have primary tumor of adenocarcinoma within the appendix that had spread into the mesoappendix (tissue next to appendix) as well as other metastasis. Because of the location of the primary tumor and the way that it grew towards the mesoappendix and not towards the cecum, it would not have been easily picked up on in the early stages of the cancer during a colonoscopy. The jury found in favor of the defense.