Objective: To describe our experience with primary appendiceal tumours.
Design: Retrospective study.
Setting: University hospital, Israel.
Subjects: 2520 patients who had appendectomies during the 14 years, January 1982-December 1996.
Results: 22 patients 5 male and 17 female, mean age 56.2 years, had primary neoplasms; 14 were carcinoid tumours and villous adenomas and were treated by appendicectomy only. Adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 8 patients (0.3%), 5 after appendicectomy (0.2%) which is twice the reported incidence. They were all treated by right hemicolectomy. Seven of the patients were classified as Dukes' B and one as Dukes' C. All patients were alive and disease-free after a mean follow-up period of 57.4 months.
Conclusion: Right hemicolectomy is the treatment of choice for adenocarcinoma of the appendix.