Monday, December 20, 2010

What is Small Bowel Cancer?

What is small bowel cancer and what causes it? Your bowel is that section of your intestine that connects to the anus, and is important to the excretion process. Now, can you think that if this bowel is so important, what are the chances that cancer will develop in the bowel? Actually, it has become quite common. The small bowel is a long 'tube' that takes up nutrients and water from foods as well as constructs waste materials into feces. This is all done by the workings of the 3 divisions of the small bowel, particularly the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. Hence, it is considered to not only be a vital part of the excretion system, but also of the digestive system. In addition, it provides a link for the stomach and the large intestine, more commonly known as the colon.

Even though this 'small' bowel might seem simple in character, it is literally 15 feet, taking up three quarters of a person's digestive system! Imagine having cancer in 3/4s of your digestive system! It is truly something to not mistake as a simple curable process. In fact, it can be treated with early detection through a colonoscopy and treatment such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This must be applied especially in cases where genetics play a role, having a family line with numerous occurrences of small bowel cancer. Moreover, cancers of the colon or rectum can also bring about conditions that will cause cancer of the small bowel or simply, spread to this area due to their inter-relationship and close proximity. For instance, family type adenomatous polyposis (FAP) which comprises 1% of cancers to the colon and rectum causes the extensive augmentation of polyps throughout the bowel seen in one's adolescent years, increasing rapidly as cancerous.

To be exact, small bowel cancer is a disease in which the cells of the small bowel or small intestine begin to grow abnormally at a rapid pace forming a tumor. This tumor can either be non-cancerous or cancerous and usually requires early detection for doctors to halt the growth from non-cancerous to cancerous. Risk factors in getting small bowel cancer encompass inherited and ecological aspects. Specific reasons as to why a person develops such an ailment is not completely understood by doctors and researchers. Research on small intestine cancers is currently being undertaken to discover the causes, which will help with better treatment.

Furthermore, many classify this cancer as rectal, colorectal and colon cancer due to the proximity in which the disease spreads from either the small to large intestine or vice versa. Notably, if this cancer is allowed to spread beyond the walls of the bowel, it becomes much harder to curtail.

Lastly, we have seen this sickness in more than 3400 Europeans and even 12,500 Australians per annum, plus many more in other Western countries. Although it has the tendency to affect those over the age of 50 years, genetics can cause occurrences in teenagers. Hence if you know someone open to these risks whether with a history of it running in their families or over the age of 50 years, encourage them to take a screening test today to prevent any possible occurrences!




If you or a loved one have colon cancer, be sure to read my articles on laparoscopic colon cancer surgery and pain after colon surgery.

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