Small bowel cancer

Small bowel cancers comprise a rare group of neoplasms that account for 1-5 % of all gastrointestinal cancers. These cancers include adenocarcinoma, carcinoid, lymphoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), sarcomas, and other neoplasms. They share a common characteristic, mainly that they all have a poor overall survival (OS) because of the delay in diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is surgical resection of the primary tumor, but due to the indolent nature of symptoms, many tumors are widespread at the time of presentation. There have been improvements in both invasive and noninvasive diagnostic studies for small bowel cancers. Capsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy have offered the clinician a complete evaluation of the small intestine not previously available. OS has improved with better chemotherapy for GISTs and lymphoma, but effective chemotherapy for adenocarcinoma remains elusive.