Intestinal Cancer Information
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What is Intestinal Cancer?
Intestinal cancer is the presence of cancerous cells in the small or large intestines. The intestines are part of the body's gastrointestinal (digestive) system.
The longest section of the gastrointestinal tract, the small intestine (or small bowel) connects the stomach to the large intestine. The small intestine is divided into three sections: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. Most small intestine cancers develop in the duodenum.
Types of Intestinal Cancer
The main types of intestinal cancer include:
- Adenocarcinomas, the most common type of intestinal cancer, usually develop in the cells that line the walls of the small intestine. Often, this type of cancer will develop out of small benign (non-cancerous) growths called polyps.
- Sarcoma is a type of cancer that develops in supportive or connective tissue of the small intestine.
- Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are variants of soft tissue sarcoma.
- Carcinoid tumors form in the lining of the intestines are often are slow growing.
- Lymphomas are an immune system disease that may originate within the intestines.
The ampulla of Vater, also called hepatopancreatic ampulla, is a region where the common bile duct and pancreatic duct open into the duodenum (the upper portion of the small intestines). Cancer of the ampulla of Vater is usually not considered an intestinal cancer; rather, this type of cancer is treated like pancreatic cancer.
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