Cancer of the small intestine

It is a rare form of cancer that occurs when cancerous cells are found in the tissues of the small intestine. There are several types of bowel cancer, the most common is adenocarcinoma. Except for adenocarcinoma, other types of small intestine cancer is sarcoma (tumor begins in the connective tissue or support), carcinoid, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and lymphomas (starts in cells of the immune system).
Cancer of the small intestine - causes, signs and symptoms

- Although bowel cancer is rare, it is important to be aware of potential signs and symptoms of the disease. Bowel cancer may be difficult to digest food and can cause bleeding of the tumor and black stools. Many of the symptoms associated with bowel cancer can also result in other problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and peptic ulcer.
Treatment
The most common forms of treatment of bowel cancer include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Surgery is the oldest form of treatment which involves physical removal of the cancer and, in many cases, and some of the tissue around it. The radiation is often used in combination with other treatment options, or the surgical removal of the cancer is not possible. Radiotherapy involves using high energy rays to kill or slow tumor growth. Like radiation, chemotherapy is often used in combination with other treatment options. Chemotherapy is a combination of chemicals used to kill or slow tumor growth.
Prevention
Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increase protective factors. Some risk factors such as age can not be avoided, however studies in population identifying situations or habits that can reduce or increase the chance of a person developing the disease. Among the protective factors we quote:

ü Diet rich in fiber and low in animal fat;
ü Practical exercise on a regular basis;
ü Do not consume tobacco, alcohol and foods with dyes;
ü Remove polyps (colonoscopy);
ü Note: through studies, not yet completed, it was observed that the use of some substances decrease the risk of developing colorectal cancer. Among these substances are vitamins E and C, calcium and selenium, but its use should be done under medical supervision, within research protocols.