Small Intestine Cancer

What is small intestine cancer?

The small intestine is the long, thin segment of the intestine that connects the stomach to the colon. Also called the small bowel, the small intestine is responsible for digesting carbohydrates, proteins and fats and delivering the resulting nutrients to the bloodstream. Different kinds of cancers can involve the small intestine. The most common type of cancer of the small bowel is adenocarcinoma, followed by sarcoma, carcinoid tumors, and lymphoma. Overall, small bowel cancer is rare; about 7,000 people are diagnosed each year with small intestine cancer in the United States (Source: ACS).

It is not known what causes cancer of the small intestine, although some factors that increase your risk of developing the condition have been identified. For example, people with certain familial cancer syndromes or a personal history of colon cancer seem to have an increased risk of developing small intestine cancer.

Symptoms of small intestine cancer can be nonspecific and include diarrhea, upper abdominal pain, weight loss, and fatigue. Since the symptoms of small intestine cancer are vague and there are no screening tests for it, it can be difficult to diagnose.

Treatment of small intestine cancer depends on where the tumor is located, whether it can be removed surgically, and whether it has spread to other areas of the body.

Occasionally, small intestine cancer does not get diagnosed until a serious complication such as intestinal obstruction or perforation occurs. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) for severe nausea and vomiting, or serious symptoms such as sweating and severe difficulty breathing, which may be combined with pale or blue lips, rapid heart rate (tachycardia), confusion, or changes in level of consciousness.

Seek prompt medical care if you notice blood in your stool, which can be red, black, or tarry in appearance, or if you have persistent abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), or unexplained weight loss.