Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast. That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who ...

Often uncovered by accident, appendiceal cancers trigger few symptoms until they’re advanced and can be difficult to detect and treat. Elizabeth Ames knew something wasn’t right. Feeling increasingly ...

It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, and 12-year-old Heather Smith was excited for her family's upcoming ski trip. But before Smith and her family had even packed their snow pants, ...

Appendix cancer, also called appendiceal cancer, is when abnormal cells grow and form a tumor in the appendix. Your appendix is a little pouch-like organ attached to the lower right side of your large ...

Symptoms of appendicitis may require emergency medical attention. Without immediate care, the appendix can burst. A burst appendix releases bacteria and pus, which can cause severe complications. The ...

DURHAM, N.C. – Long denigrated as vestigial or useless, the appendix now appears to have a reason to be – as a “safe house” for the beneficial bacteria living in the human gut. Drawing upon a series ...

For years, the appendix carried a reputation as the body’s most pointless organ. Doctors often removed it without hesitation, and textbooks labeled it a vestigial structure—something our ancestors ...

Laura holds a Master's in Experimental Neuroscience and a Bachelor's in Biology from Imperial College London. Her areas of expertise include health, medicine, psychology, and neuroscience.View full ...