Small bowel cancer
| Classification according to ICD-10 | |
|---|---|
| C17.- | Malignant neoplasm of the small intestine |
| C17.0 | Duodenum |
| C17.1 | Jejunum |
| C17.2 | Ileum |
| C17.3 | Meckel's diverticulum |
| C17.8 | Small intestine, overlapping several areas |
| C17.9 | Small intestine, unspecified |
| ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019) | |
Small bowel cancer (also known as small bowel cancer, small bowel tumor) is a rarely occurring type of cancer in which (malignant) cancer cells are found in the tissue of the small intestine . They make up only about 2% of the tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. As with gastric cancer and colon cancer, it is mostly adenocarcinoma .
Symptoms
There are no reliable early signs that indicate the presence of small bowel cancer. Symptoms typically only arise with increasing tumor size. A life-threatening situation arises when the tumor causes an intestinal obstruction .
A doctor should be consulted if the following symptoms occur:
- prolonged pain or cramping in the center of the abdomen
- Weight Loss Without Diet
- a lump in the abdomen
- Blood in the stool
diagnosis
The diagnosis is made using imaging methods of examination of the abdomen:
- MR Sellink (small intestine magnetic resonance tomography), with drinking solution
- X-ray examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract with contrast medium
- Computed tomogram (CT), with fluid filling the intestine
- (endoscopic) ultrasound examination
- Colonoscopy with an endoscope and biopsy (tissue sample)
Small bowel cancer is often only diagnosed at an advanced stage, as the disease is associated with unspecific symptoms and is difficult to detect with the examination techniques of endoscopy and sonography during routine examinations in the early stage. In 40% of the patients, metastases already exist at the initial diagnosis .
If cancer cells are found, there are four types of cancer in the small intestine:
Adenocarcinomas are the most common small bowel tumors.
therapy
There are three treatment options:
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- chemotherapy
Most often, the surgical removal of the affected section of the intestine and possibly affected lymph nodes with subsequent chemotherapy is used, especially if the lymph nodes are already affected by cancer.
