Small intestine cancer classification

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Qurrat-ul-ain Abid, M.D.[2]

Overview

Small intestine cancer may be classified according to histology into adenocarcinoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, lymphoma, ileal carcinoid tumor, and sarcoma (most commonly leiomyosarcoma and rarely angiosarcoma or liposarcoma).

Classification

Small intestine cancer may be subdivided anatomically into:

• Duodenal cancer (the first part of the small intestine)
• Cancer of the jejunum and ileum (the later two parts of the small intestine)

Small intestine cancer may be classified according to histology into 3 groups, which are further classified into subtypes:

• Benign tumors
• Malignant tumors
• Extra-intestinal tumors.

Tumors	Types
Benign Tumors	Leiomyoma Lipoma Hamartoma Desmoid tumors
Malignant Tumors	Adenocarcinoma Leiomyosarcoma Carcinoid tumors Neuroendocrine tumors Lymphomas
Extra- Intestinal Tumors	Metastasis to small intestine is mostly through: Contagious spread (uncommon, most common route for spread of melanoma) Peritoneal spread