Small intestine cancer is a
cancer
Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
of the
small intestine
The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the p ...
. It is relatively rare compared to other
gastrointestinal malignancies such as
gastric cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymph ...
(stomach cancer) and
colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
.
Small intestine cancer can be subdivided into
duodenal cancer
Duodenal cancer is a cancer in the first section of the small intestine known as the duodenum. Cancer of the duodenum is relatively rare compared to stomach cancer and colorectal cancer. Its histology is usually adenocarcinoma.
Familial adeno ...
(the first part of the small intestine) and cancer of the
jejunum and
ileum (the latter two parts of the small intestine). Duodenal cancer has more in common with
stomach cancer
Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, is a cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach. Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas, which can be divided into a number of subtypes, including gastric adenocarcinomas. Lymph ...
, while cancer of the jejunum and ileum have more in common with
colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...
.
Five-year survival rates are 65%.
Histopathologic types
![Small intestinal cancers by incidence and prognosis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Small_intestinal_cancers_by_incidence_and_prognosis.jpg)
Subtypes of small intestine cancer include:
*
Adenocarcinoma
Adenocarcinoma (; plural adenocarcinomas or adenocarcinomata ) (AC) is a type of cancerous tumor that can occur in several parts of the body. It is defined as neoplasia of epithelial tissue that has glandular origin, glandular characteristics, or ...
*
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor
*
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...
*
Carcinoid tumors of the midgut
File:Light microscopy of small intestinal adenocarcinoma.jpg, Adenocarcinoma
File:Histopathology of small intestinal well-differentiated grade 1 (G1) carcinoid.jpg, Carcinoid
Risk factors
Risk factors for small intestine cancer include:
[Chen AC, Neugut AI. Malignant Neoplasms of the Small Intestine. eMedicine.com. URL]
http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic2651.htm
Accessed on: June 2, 2006.
*
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that may affect any segment of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms often include abdominal pain, diarrhea (which may be bloody if inflammation is severe), fever, abdominal distension ...
*
Celiac disease
*
Radiation exposure
Radiation is a moving form of energy, classified into ionizing and non-ionizing type. Ionizing radiation is further categorized into electromagnetic radiation (without matter) and particulate radiation (with matter). Electromagnetic radiation con ...
* Hereditary gastrointestinal
cancer syndrome
A cancer syndrome, or family cancer syndrome, is a genetic disorder in which inherited genetic mutations in one or more genes predispose the affected individuals to the development of cancers and may also cause the early onset of these cancers. Ca ...
s:
familial adenomatous polyposis,
hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer,
Peutz–Jeghers syndrome
* Males are 25% more likely to develop the disease
Benign tumour
A benign tumor is a mass of cells (tumor) that does not invade neighboring tissue or metastasize (spread throughout the body). Compared to malignant (cancerous) tumors, benign tumors generally have a slower growth rate. Benign tumors have re ...
s and conditions that may be mistaken for cancer of the small bowel:
*
Hamartoma
A hamartoma is a mostly benign, local malformation of cells that resembles a neoplasm of local tissue but is usually due to an overgrowth of multiple aberrant cells, with a basis in a systemic genetic condition, rather than a growth descended fr ...
*
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
Additional images
Image:Small intestine neuroendocrine tumour low mag.jpg, Micrograph
A micrograph or photomicrograph is a photograph or digital image taken through a microscope or similar device to show a magnified image of an object. This is opposed to a macrograph or photomacrograph, an image which is also taken on a mic ...
of a small intestine
The small intestine or small bowel is an organ in the gastrointestinal tract where most of the absorption of nutrients from food takes place. It lies between the stomach and large intestine, and receives bile and pancreatic juice through the p ...
neuroendocrine tumour
Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are neoplasm
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of t ...
. H&E stain
Hematoxylin and eosin stain ( or haematoxylin and eosin stain or hematoxylin-eosin stain; often abbreviated as H&E stain or HE stain) is one of the principal tissue stains used in histology. It is the most widely used stain in medical diagnos ...
.
References
External links
{{Digestive system neoplasia
Gastrointestinal cancer