Depending on the histology, cancer of the small intestine is treatable and sometimes curable. Adenocarcinoma, lymphoma, sarcoma, and carcinoid tumors account for the majority of small intestine malignancies which, as a whole, account for only 1%-2% of all gastrointestinal malignancies.[1-4] As in other gastrointestinal malignancies, the predominant modality of treatment is surgery when resection is possible, and cure relates to the ability to completely resect the cancer. The overall 5-year survival rate for resectable adenocarcinoma is only 20%. The 5-year survival rate for resectable leiomyosarcoma, the most common primary sarcoma of the small intestine, is approximately 50%. Carcinoid tumors of the small intestine are covered elsewhere as a separate cancer entity; for information see the PDQ summary on gastrointestinal carcinoid tumor. Lymphoma of the small intestine is dealt with briefly here; for more detailed information, a separate summary containing information on non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is also available in PDQ.

References:

1.Coit DG: Cancer of the small intestine. In: DeVita VT, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, Eds.: Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. Philadelphia: JB Lippincott Company, 4th Edition, 1993, pp 915-928.

2.Serour F, Dona G, Birkenfeld S, et al.: Primary neoplasms of the small bowel. Journal of Surgical Oncology 49(1): 29-34, 1992.

3.Matsuo S, Eto T, Tsunoda T, et al.: Small bowel tumors: an analysis of tumor-like lesions, benign and malignant neoplasms. European Journal of Surgical Oncology 20(1): 47-51, 1994.

4.Chow JS, Chen CC, Ahsan H, et al.: A population-based study of the incidence of malignant small bowel tumours: SEER, 1973-1990. International Journal of Epidemiology 25(4): 722-728, 1996.

Share This