A man who experienced a ‘vague’ symptom later discovered he had stage 4 cancer.
Wylie Dixon, aged 39, was taken aback when he learned that he suffered from appendix cancer, a rare condition diagnosed in only about 3,000 people annually in the United States.
In Wylie’s case, not only was the cancer aggressive, but it had also “spread throughout his body” by the time medical professionals identified it.
Alarmingly, a recent study has shown an increase in such diagnoses among individuals under 50.
Andreana Holowatyj, PhD, MSCI, assistant professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, commented on the findings. She stated, “When you take these alarming rates that we are seeing for appendiceal cancer across generations, together with the fact that one in every three patients diagnosed with appendiceal cancer is diagnosed under the age of 50, these point to a timely need for everyone to be aware of the signs and symptoms of appendix cancer.”
Common symptoms of this rare cancer include abdominal pain, bloating, changes in bowel habits, and loss of appetite. Wylie was taken to the emergency room in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Australia, only after he began experiencing these symptoms.
Prior to this, he had been dealing with fatigue for several months, but this was considered too ‘vague’ for doctors to make a cancer diagnosis.
Recalling his feelings before the diagnosis, Wylie shared with Femail: “I was in disbelief as I’d never heard of the cancer before… I wasn’t someone who had scheduled health check-ups but I went to the doctor often when something would arise. I was fit and healthy, not overweight. I was very active and walking 10,000 to 20,000 steps per day was normal for me at work.”
Wylie added, “I didn’t have any major symptoms besides fatigue. That’s the problem with this cancer, everything was vague and didn’t persist, besides the fatigue.”
Wylie reported that it took two years for doctors to diagnose his condition. It wasn’t until August 2024 that he received the shocking news.
Wylie and his wife Ked have since moved from Cairns to Sydney to be closer to his medical treatment.
They have both left their jobs and are currently residing in temporary housing. To support them in this challenging time, a GoFundMe page has been set up.
The campaign aims to raise $22,000 AUD, and contributions have already surpassed $21,000 AUD.
You can donate to the page here.
If you’re dealing with these issues and need to talk to someone confidentially, you can reach the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or through their live chat, available 24/7 every day of the year.