Small Intestine Cancer

Small intestine cancer, also called as small bowel cancer, is a cancer that develops in areas around or inside the small intestine. It is a fairly rare type of carcinoma as compared to other gastrointestinal cancers. These cancers can further be subdivided into two categories – Duodenal cancer and jejunum and ileum cancer.  

Types of small intestine cancers  

Several other categories of small intestine cancers exist which include :  

  • Adenocarcinomas : About 30-40% of cancers of the small intestine are of this type. These start from cells lining the small intestine and many experts believe that its development is similar to colorectal cancer. It first starts as a small outgrowth which later develops into a cancer. While most of such cancers develop in the duodenum, the rest develop in the jejunum and ileum. 

  • Carcinoid tumors : These account for around one-third of the total small intestine carcinomas. They are slow-growing tumors and can be treated successfully if detected in early stages.  

  • Sarcomas and lymphomas : These two types of carcinomas along with carcinoid tumors account more about 60-70% of cancers of the small intestine. Both these cancers tend to grow and/or very slowly. 

    Symptoms of small intestine cancer 

    People with small intestine cancer show very vague symptoms which are often not enough to understand the disease. Some common symptoms of such carcinomas are :  
  • Abdomen pain 

  • Unplanned weight loss 

  • Weakness 

  • Anemia – low count of red blood cells due to bleeding in the intestine 

  • In rare cases, perforation may occur in the intestine which may result to symptoms like intense pain, vomiting and nausea.   

    Diagnosis of small intestine cancer 

    Some of the methods used fpr the diagnosis of small intestine carcinomas are :  

    Blood tests 

    Blood tests might include a complete blood count (CBC)  in which red, white blood cells and platelets are measured. Doctors can look for signs of cancer by the use of blood chemistry. 

    Imaging tests 

    Certain image tests are also done sometimes in order to understand the location and the affect of the carcinoma :  

  • Barium x-rays : In such a test, the patient is made to swallow barium, also called the contrast liquid, to coat a region of the intestine. This helps doctors to take x-rays of the upper and lower parts of your abdomen to look for any signs of cancer. Although barium tests are not extremely helpful in locating cancers of the small intestine, they were used often before endoscopy was introduced. 

  • Computed topography (CT) scan : A CT scan is an x-ray operation that generates detailed cross-sectional images of the patient's body. These scans are mostly used for patients reporting abdominal pain to try to discover the root of the problem. 

    Endoscopy  

    Three types of endoscopy are generally used for the diagnosis of small intestine carcinomas :  

  • Upper endoscopy

  • Double-balloon endoscopy

  • Capsule endoscopy