Small Intestine Cancer: General Overview

Small Intestine Cancer alternate names: Small Intestine Adenocarcinoma, Small Intestine Sarcoma, Small Intestine Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, Small Intestine Carcinoid, Small Intestine Carcinoma.

The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) has included Small Intestine Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent as a Compassionate Allowance to expedite a disability claim.

Main Content

Small Intestine Cancer forms in tissues of the small intestine. The most common type is Adenocarcinoma. Most of these tumors occur in the part of the small intestine near the stomach. They may grow and block the intestine.

In oncology, small intestine, small bowel, and small bowel cancer is a cancer of the small intestine. It is relatively rare compared to other gastrointestinal malignancies such as gastric cancer (stomach cancer) and colorectal cancer.

Small intestine cancer can be subdivided into duodenal cancer (the first part of the small intestine) and cancer of the jejunum and ileum (the later two parts of the small intestine). Duodenal cancer has more in common with stomach cancer, while cancer of the jejunum and ileum has more in common with colorectal cancer.

The following may be used to diagnose the disease:

• Physical exam and history
• Laboratory tests,
• X-rays
• Barium enema
• Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
• Endoscopy
• Biopsy
• CT scan
• Surgery

Treatment may include surgery, radiation, biological therapy, and chemotherapy.

The overall 5-year survival rate for resectable Adenocarcinoma is only 20%.

Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.