Prognosis
The prognosis, like the survival time, depends on the time of detection of the disease. The earlier the disease is detected, the better the prognosis. In more advanced stages, small bowel cancer metastasizes, i.e. the tumorous tissue spreads to other parts of the body.
The metastases can occur in the small intestine itself as well as in other organs. In principle, the process of metastasis can occur both via the lymphatic system (lymphogenic) and via the vessels (hematogenic). In the small intestine, both are possible, depending on the localization.
A frequent organ in which metastases are already present at diagnosis is the liver. This can be explained by the spatial proximity. Another frequent localization for metastases in small intestine cancer are other organs of the gastrointestinal system, such as the stomach.
The pancreas is also frequently affected by metastases due to its close proximity. In the final stage of cancer of the small intestine, there are usually many tumorous growths in the abdominal cavity, which affect a large part of the intestine. As a result, there is an increased incidence of passenger disturbances of food in the intestine.
As the disease progresses, this often results in a life-threatening intestinal obstruction (ileus), which must be treated surgically as soon as possible, otherwise a rupture of the bowel is to be expected. The chances of survival depend entirely on the time of discovery of the primary tumor in the small intestine. Other factors such as the patient’s age and general condition also play a major role in the further course of the disease.
The location of the tumor is also not insignificant for the chances of recovery. In most cases, the tumor is discovered very late, which reduces the chances of survival, sometimes severely. If the cancer is detected very early, up to 90% of the diseases can be completely cured.
If, however, metastases have spread to other organs and lymph nodes, often only palliative treatment is possible – this means that the therapy no longer aims and can no longer be aimed at a cure, but rather that the patient’s symptoms are alleviated and the survival time can possibly be extended. The problem with small bowel cancer is the low specificity of symptoms. As a result, many tumors of the small intestine are unfortunately detected at a very late stage and can only be treated to a limited extent.
The 5-year survival rate is therefore only about 20%, i.e. 5 years after diagnosis of small intestine cancer, about 20% of all patients are still alive. Nobody can be 100% sure that they will never get cancer. In the course of life, many “mistakes” occur during cell division, which can later cause proliferations and uncontrolled cell growth.
Even though the body has many defense and repair systems of its own, not all errors in cell division can be reversed. Nevertheless, it is possible, for example through sufficient sport, exercise and also through a balanced and healthy diet, to prevent a possible disease or at least reduce the risk of contracting one. One should avoid excessive meat consumption, eat a lot of fiber-rich food and avoid alcohol and tobacco as much as possible.
Besides the correct and healthy way of life, preventive medical checkups are of great importance. It is important to have the body checked through regularly to detect small intestine cancer at an early stage.
