Uncommon Cancers of the Small Bowel

Small bowel cancer is a rare malignancy representing approximately 2% of gastrointestinal neoplasms. The most common cancer of the small intestine is a low-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma or carcinoid. However, many other histological types of cancer, including adenocarcinomas, lymphomas, and sarcomas, are seen in the small intestine. Because of the nonspecific clinical presentation of small bowel cancer and the difficulty in imaging the small bowel, patients with small bowel cancer often present with advanced disease. The prognosis for small bowel cancer is heavily dependent on the histological type of cancer. This chapter will review the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment for rare cancers of the small intestine.