Small Intestine Cancer: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Small intestine cancer is a rare condition. This cancer can cause the cells present in the small intestine to become cancerous or malignant. When these cancerous cells begin to grow rapidly, they transform into tumours that impact the digestive process.

The small bowel or the small intestine is a crucial part of the digestive system and also includes the large intestine, stomach, and oesophagus. The small intestine can break down food products and then absorbs all the important fats and vitamins.

Small Intestine Cancer Symptom

Abdominal pain is one of the primary small intestine cancer symptoms, which you will experience during the early stages of this cancer. This might happen when the food doesn’t pass through the digestive tract problem. There are several symptoms of this condition:

• Loss in appetite
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Abdominal distension

When cancer has progressed greatly, you will start experiencing severe symptoms of this condition, which are:

• A Lump in the Abdomen
• Weight Loss
• Weakness
• Anaemia
• Vomiting
• Vitamin Deficiency
• Fatigue
• Black or bloody stools
• Diarrhoea
• Jaundice

Small Intestine Cancer Causes

When it comes to the causes of small bowel obstruction or small intestine cancer, doctors are not sure how exactly people get to develop them. But they think that there are several ways people can develop this condition:

• A person’s age [Average age during the diagnosis is 60]
• The gender [Men have a high chance of developing this condition]
• Genetics [Many disorders that you’re born with can cause this condition]
• Drinking alcohol and smoking
• A high-fat diet
• Working and residing near massive quantities of chemicals, such as “Phenoxyacetic Acid.”
• Conditions that can affect the gut, such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or colon cancer.
• Lymphedema [A condition that damages the vessels which connect the lymph nodes.]

Where Does Small Intestine Cancer Spread First?

The small bowel cancer occurs in the GI [Gastrointestinal] tract, but it can also occur in the “ileum,” which is the longest and the final section of the small intestine. Otherwise, it will occur in the “duodenum,” which is the first area of the small intestine near the stomach.

Is Small Intestine Cancer Fast Growing?

You will come across certain types of intestine cancers, out of which some of them grow faster and some of them grow slowly. “Carcinoid Tumours” is the slowest growing cancer, and other small intestine cancers, such as “Adenocarcinoma” and “Lymphoma,” might grow quickly.

How Long Can You Live with Small Intestine Cancer Without Treatment?

The survival rate of individuals who suffer from cancers of the intestine will differ greatly. It’s mainly because it will depend on the type of small intestine cancer they have, where it’s located, and the cancer stage. You should speak with the doctor to learn about the characteristics of cancer and how it will affect the prognosis.

Small Intestine Cancer Treatment: Different Types of Treatment for Patients with Small Intestine Cancer

There are countless treatment options available for small intestine cancer. You will learn about some of them in this section.

Surgery

The surgical procedure is one of the best ways to get rid of the small bowel tumour. Individuals must only opt for the surgical procedure when the condition doesn’t respond to other treatments. There are two types of surgical procedures to opt for, which are bypass and resection. You should speak to the physician to learn about the best type of surgical procedure.

Radiation Therapy

Under this treatment option, the doctor will utilize high-energy radiation beams to eliminate all the cancer cells. The doctor will suggest you opt for radiation therapy when cancer cannot be removed through surgery. Radiation therapy is viewed as part of palliative care as it can help you get relief from the symptoms of a small intestine tumour.

Chemotherapy

In chemotherapy, medications are utilized to prevent cancer cells from growing. The medications will either stop the cancer cells from dividing or completely eliminate them. Depending heavily on the type of chemotherapy treatment you receive, the medication will target all those cancer cells located in a particular section of the body or will eliminate all the cancer cells present throughout the body.

New Kinds of Treatment are Being Tested in Clinical Trials

There have been several other treatment options for small bowel cancer, which have been proven to be effective. These are:

Immunotherapy

This is a type of treatment that can boost the immune system greatly so that it can fight all the cancer cells. The immune system can fight all the risky bodily invaders and abnormal cells naturally.
At times, the cancer cells can pass through the defenses of the immune system. Through immunotherapy, it becomes a lot easier for the immune system to detect all the cancer cells and eliminate them.

Radiation Therapy with Radiosensitizers

The “radiosensitizers” used in radiation therapy have proven to be highly effective in treating small bowel cancer. The radiosensitizers pharmaceutical or chemical agents, which are used in radiation therapy to enhance the killing effect of the cancer cells by speeding up the DNA damage and indirectly producing free radicals
Apart from that, you can also opt for “Proton Therapy” from Apollo Proton Cancer Centre, which can certainly eliminate cancer cells. It will also give you relief from the symptoms of small intestine cancer.

Conclusion of Small Intestine Cancer Treatment

Small intestine cancer can become a severe condition if you do not treat it at the right time. When you start to experience severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloating, you should speak to your physician immediately.