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Cancer risk following appendectomy for acute appendicitis (Denmark)

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Abstract

Objective: Epidemiologic studies have not been able definitely to exclude that appendectomy carries a cancer risk. This study was conducted to clarify whether appendectomy is associated with a subsequent increase in cancer risk, since appendectomy is frequently an elective procedure. Methods: The present study included more than 82,000 persons who underwent appendectomy for acute appendicitis during 1977-89 according to the nation-wide Danish Hospital Discharge Register. During a follow-up interval of up to 17 years, cancer incidence was assessed by linkage to the Danish Cancer Registry and compared with the incidence in the general population of Denmark. Results: The total number of malignancies among appendectomized persons was 1.05 times higher than expected with 95 percent confidence intervals of 0.99-1.11. There was no clear significant excess of any specific cancer type. Conclusion: During a postsurgery period of nearly two decades, results of our study did not support the hypothesis that either appendectomy or acute appendicitis are likely to be associated with malignant neoplasms.

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Mellemkjær, L., Johansen, C., Linet, M.S. et al. Cancer risk following appendectomy for acute appendicitis (Denmark). Cancer Causes Control 9, 183–187 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008834311514

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008834311514

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