Duodenal Cancer: Symptoms, Prognosis, Treatment For Duodenum Cancer

Duodenal Cancer Symptoms, Treatment

Cancer of duodenum is very rare entity, of the three parts of duodenum, cancer of second and third part can occur, but cancer of first part is rarely observed.

Duodenum is a part of small intestine, and it is the beginning part of small intestine attached to the stomach.

Per se, duodenal cancer or adenocarcinoma of duodenum may result from the already existing duodenal polyps. When this adenomatous polyp gets degenerated it turns into cancerous state.

The symptoms of duodenum cancer are pain in epigastric region i.e. below the breast bone, nausea, vomiting, bloating of abdomen after eating food, weight loss and bleeding from duodenum which is detected as occult blood in stool during microscopic examination of stool.

Unfortunately duodenal cancer is mostly detected in advanced stage, and the prognosis on 5 year survival rate is 20% to 30%.

The prognosis of duodenum cancer will depend on many criteria such as the depth of cancer invasion, involvement of surrounding tissues and lymph node, metastasis spread in other organs such as liver, kidney, brain and lungs.

Prognosis of cancer of third part of duodenum is better than the first two parts.

If the lesion is detected in early stage there is better prognosis with patients having duodenal ulcer.

Treatment for duodenal cancer is surgery and chemotherapy for these patients.

Endoscopy, MRI and X-ray barium studies are important investigative tools for cancer of duodenum.