Small Intestine Cancer
[Back to top]
Description
[Back to top]
What is cancer of the small intestine?
Cancer of the small intestine, a rare cancer, is a disease in which cancer
(malignant) cells are found in the tissues of the small intestine. The small
intestine is a long tube that folds many times to fit inside the abdomen. It
connects the stomach to the large intestine (bowel). In the small intestine,
food is broken down to remove vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and
fats.
A doctor should be seen if there are any of the following:
- Pain or cramps in
the middle of the abdomen.
- Weight loss without dieting.
- A lump in the abdomen.
- Blood in the stool.
If there are symptoms, a doctor will usually order an upper gastrointestinal
x-ray (also called an upper GI series). For this examination, a patient drinks
a liquid containing barium, which makes the stomach and intestine easier to see
in the x-ray. This test is usually performed in a doctor’s office or in a
hospital radiology department.
The doctor may also do a CT scan, a special x-ray that uses a computer to make
a picture of the inside of the abdomen. An ultrasound, which uses sound waves
to find tumors, or an MRI scan, which uses magnetic waves to make a picture of
the abdomen, may also be done.
The doctor may put a thin lighted tube called an endoscope down the throat,
through the stomach, and into the first part of the small intestine. The
doctor may cut out a small piece of tissue during the endoscopy. This is
called a biopsy. The tissue is then looked at under a microscope to see if it
contains cancer cells.
The chance of recovery (prognosis) depends on the type of cancer, whether it is
just in the small intestine or has spread to other tissues, and the patient’s
overall health.
[Back to top]
Stage Explanation
[Back to top]
Stages of cancer of the small intestine
Once small intestine cancer is found, more tests will be done to find out if
cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. Although there is a
staging system for cancer of the small intestine, for treatment purposes this
cancer is grouped based on what kind of cells are found. The types of cancer
found in the small intestine include adenocarcinoma, sarcoma, and
carcinoid tumors. (Refer to the PDQ summary on Gastrointestinal Carcinoid
Tumor Treatment for more information on carcinoid tumors. Refer to the PDQ summaries on
Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment and Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment
for more information on sarcomas.)
(For information on small intestine lymphoma, refer to the PDQ
summaries on Adult Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Childhood Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Treatment.)
[Back to top]
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma starts in the lining of the small intestine and is the most
common type of cancer of the small intestine. These tumors occur most often in
the part of the small intestine nearest the stomach. These cancers often grow
and block the bowel.
[Back to top]
Leiomyosarcoma
Leiomyosarcomas are cancers that start growing in the smooth muscle lining of
the small intestine.
[Back to top]
Recurrent
Recurrent disease means that the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has
been treated. It may come back in the small intestine or in another part of
the body.
[Back to top]
Treatment Option Overview
[Back to top]
How cancer of the small intestine is treated
There are treatments for all patients with cancer of the small intestine.
Three kinds of treatment are used:
- Surgery (taking out the cancer).
- Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays to kill cancer cells).
- Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells).
Surgery to remove the cancer is the most common treatment. Lymph nodes in the
area may also be removed and looked at under a microscope to see if they
contain cancer. If the tumor is large, a doctor may cut out a section of the
small intestine containing the cancer and reconnect the intestine.
Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink
tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external radiation
therapy) or from putting materials that produce radiation (radioisotopes)
through thin plastic tubes in the area where the cancer cells are found
(internal radiation therapy). Drugs that make the cancer cells more sensitive
to radiation (radiosensitizers) are sometimes given along with radiation.
Radiation can be used alone or in addition to surgery and/or chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by
pill, or it may be put in the body through a needle in a vein or muscle.
Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the
bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the
intestine.
If the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the
operation, the patient may be given chemotherapy after surgery to kill any
cancer cells that are left. Chemotherapy given after an operation is called
adjuvant chemotherapy.
Biological therapy (using the body’s immune system to fight cancer) is being
studied in clinical trials. Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight
cancer. It uses materials made by the body or made in a laboratory to boost,
direct, or restore the body’s natural defenses against disease. Biological
therapy is sometimes called biological response modifier (BRM) therapy or
immunotherapy.
[Back to top]
Treatment by stage
Treatments for cancer of the small intestine depend on the type of cancer, how
far it has spread, and the patient’s general health and age.
Standard treatment may be considered because of its effectiveness in patients
in past studies, or participation in a clinical trial may be considered. Not
all patients are cured with standard therapy and some standard treatments may
have more side effects than are desired. For these reasons, clinical trials
are designed to find better ways to treat cancer patients and are based on the
most up-to-date information. Clinical trials are ongoing in some parts of the
country for patients with cancer of the small intestine. To learn more about
clinical trials, call the Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237); TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
[Back to top]
Small Intestine Adenocarcinoma
Treatment may be one of the following:
- Surgery to cut out the tumor.
- Surgery to allow food in the small intestine to go around the cancer (bypass) if the cancer cannot be removed.
- Radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
- A clinical trial of radiation plus drugs to make cancer cells more sensitive to radiation (radiosensitizers), with or without chemotherapy.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy or biological therapy.
[Back to top]
Small Intestine Leiomyosarcoma
Treatment may be one of the following:
- Surgery to remove the cancer.
- Surgery to allow food in the small intestine to go around the cancer
(bypass) if the cancer cannot be removed.
- Radiation therapy.
- Surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy to relieve symptoms.
- A clinical trial of chemotherapy or biological therapy.
(Refer to the PDQ summaries on Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment or Childhood
Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment for more information.)
[Back to top]
Recurrent Small Intestine Cancer
If the cancer comes back in another part of the body, treatment will probably
be a clinical trial of chemotherapy or biological therapy.
If the cancer has come back only in one area, treatment may be one of the
following:
- Surgery to remove the cancer.
- Radiation therapy or chemotherapy to relieve symptoms.
- A clinical trial of radiation with drugs to make the cancer cells more
sensitive to radiation (radiosensitizers), with or without chemotherapy.
(Refer to the PDQ summaries on Adult Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Treatment and
Childhood Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Treatment for more information on treatment of
recurrent small intestine lymphoma.) (Refer to the PDQ summaries on Adult Soft
Tissue Sarcoma Treatment or Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma Treatment for more
information on treatment of recurrent small intestine sarcoma.)
[Back to top]
Changes to This Summary (07/10/2003)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Changes were made to this summary to match those made to the health professional version.
This information is provided from the PDQ® database in collaboration with the NCI.
