Small Intestine Cancer Treament in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Small intestine cancer is one of the rarest types of cancer affecting the patient’s gastrointestinal tract. The prognosis will be determined by multiple tests and affected by various factors. The most important ones include:
- Stage of cancer
- Cancer type
- Location of the tumor
This type of cancer occurs when cancerous cells form in the small intestine. The organ is separated into three parts. Those are:
- Duodenum, the section nearest to the stomach
- Jejunum, the middle area
- Ileum, the longest section
Most patients suffer from ileum or duodenum cancer, while the jejunum is the area least prone to malignant cells.
What Are the Different Types of Small Intestine Cancer Treatment
Small intestine cancer is separated into specific types based on the variety of cells that cause the disease. These are the variations you should know about:
- Lymphoma: This type of cancer starts in the white blood cells of the patient’s lymphatic system, called lymphocytes. The lymphatic system helps the body stay healthy and fight off germs and abnormal cells.
- Adenocarcinomas: This cancer type starts in the patient’s glandular epithelial cells that line the intestine. About 30% of all small intestine cancers are adenocarcinomas.
- Carcinoid tumors: Neuroendocrine cells help the body produce hormones and are responsible for the control of digestive juices in the small intestine.
- Sarcomas: GIST is the most well-known type of sarcoma that infects the small intestine. Sarcomas start in connective tissues of the body.
Small Intestine Cancer Symptoms
Multiple factors determine the symptoms a patient may feel while suffering from duodenum cancer or any other type of small intestine cancer. The location of the tumor is one of them, but the type and the stage of the disease also play a part.
The most common signs of small intestine cancer are:
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps
- Unintentional weight loss
- Jaundice
- Anemia
- Bloody stool
- A lump in the abdomen
- Flushed skin
Small Intestine Cancer Treatment
There are multiple small intestine cancer treatment options available, and specific information about the patient determines which one will be used to cure the disease. These are the most common solutions to the issue:
- Surgery: Surgery is the most popular solution for this type of cancer, and it may include:
Resection: This type of surgery removes the entire organ or the part that is affected by cancer.
Bypass: The surgery that allows food to go into your intestine without interfering with the tumor. - Chemotherapy: Chemotherapy is a type of small intestine cancer treatment that attempts to stop the growth of cancer cells with the help of drugs.
- Radiation Therapy: The cancer cells are killed with the help of x-rays when radiation therapy is used to stop the disease.