The information on this page was reviewed and approved by
Maurie Markman, MD, President, Medicine & Science at CTCA.
This page was updated on April 12, 2021.
Intestinal cancer is most often treated with surgery, sometimes in combination with chemotherapy or radiation. Your multidisciplinary team of cancer experts will answer your questions and recommend treatment options for your intestinal cancer based on your unique diagnosis and needs. Common treatments for intestinal cancer include:
Surgery is the most common treatment for intestinal cancer. At Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA), experienced surgical oncologists perform surgery to remove tumors and the cancerous portion of the small intestine. In some cases, the following procedures may also be appropriate:
Chemotherapy for small intestine cancer may be given to treat cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to other areas of the body or to help kill cancer cells that may remain in the abdomen after surgery.
Potential side effects of chemotherapy may include nausea, vomiting, hair loss and mouth sores. Your care team may recommend multiple measures to help reduce or manage chemotherapy-related symptoms.
Prior to receiving chemotherapy for intestinal cancer, you may receive pre-medications to help make side effects more tolerable. During chemotherapy, your care team will offer supportive care services designed to ease side effects and support your quality of life.
Radiation therapy may be a treatment option for intestinal cancer. With today’s radiation therapy delivery systems, our radiation oncologists are better able to target difficult-to-reach tumors in the small intestine. Our radiation oncologists may also direct higher radiation doses at intestinal cancer cells, while reducing exposure to normal, healthy tissue.
Sophisticated forms of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) may be used to treat cancer of the small intestine.
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