Small Bowel Cancer

Definition:
Small bowel cancer is an uncommon type of cancer that occurs in the small intestine. Your small intestine, which is also called the small bowel, is a long tube that carries digested food between your stomach and your large intestine (colon).

Symptoms:
Blood in the stool (feces), Dark/black stools, Diarrhea, A lump in the abdomen, Pain or cramps in the abdomen, Unexplained weight loss, Episodes of abdominal pain that may be accompanied by severe nausea or vomiting.

Statistics:
In total, 10,945 SI cancers (IR=2.10/100,000 person-years) were diagnosed during 1992-2006, including carcinomas (n=3,412, IR=0.66), neuroendocrine cancers (n=4,315, IR=0.83), sarcomas (n=1,084, IR=0.20), and lymphomas (n=2,023, IR=0.38). For all histologic groups, males had significantly higher IRs than females, and distinct age-specific gender patterns were limited to intermediate-/high-grade lymphomas. Neuroendocrine cancer rates varied significantly by race, with rates highest among Blacks and lowest among Asians/Pacific Islanders (APIs).