It was the first day of spring break in 1992 in Phoenix, Ariz. 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 ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. It’s the one organ we’ve been told is basically useless, and now it might actually be harboring a stealthy health risk. So ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. You may have heard that astronauts have their appendix removed before leaving Earth. After all, people say you can live without ...

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 ...

A sudden appendectomy as a child made Heather Smith curious about what the appendix is for and why it gets inflamed. Now as an anatomy researcher,... Your appendix is not, in fact, useless. This ...

Just when we thought we had enough on our medical to-do list-Pap smears, mammograms, cholesterol checks, stress management, hydration, posture-now we're hearing that appendix cancer is on the rise?

You may have heard that astronauts have their appendix removed before leaving Earth. After all, people say you can live without this organ because it serves no purpose, but how much truth is there in ...

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today. It was the first day of spring break ...