SMALL BOWEL CANCER

Course overview

SMALL BOWEL CANCER ENCOMPASSES A SERIES OF MALIGNANT LESIONS THAT MAY BE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE SMALL INTESTINE (SI). THE SMALL BOWEL LIES BETWEEN THE STOMACH AND THE LARGE INTESTINE (LI/COLON). IT COMPRISES THREE DIFFERENT SECTIONS, THE DUODENUM, JEJUNUM, AND ILEUM, TO THE LEVEL OF THE ILEOCECAL VALVE, WHICH PROVIDES THE TERMINAL TRANSITION POINT BETWEEN THE SI AND THE LI. WHILE THERE ARE BOTH BENIGN AND MALIGNANT LESIONS THAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE SI, THE OVERALL INCIDENCE OF SMALL BOWEL NEOPLASMS IS EXTREMELY LOW WHEN COMPARED TO LESIONS NOTED IN OTHER PORTIONS OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT. THIS ACTIVITY HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MANAGING PATIENTS WHO HAVE SMALL BOWEL CANCER.