Small Bowel Cancer

Small bowel cancer is an uncommon cancer that comprises about 1% to 2% of all gastrointestinal cancers.

This year, an estimated 8,810 adults (4,670 men and 4,140 women) in the United States will be diagnosed with small bowel cancer. It is estimated that 1,170 deaths (610 men and 560 women) from this disease will occur this year.

As explained in the Overview, there are several types of small bowel cancer, and survival rates are different for each. The five-year survival rate (the percentage of people who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) for adenocarcinoma that has not spread outside the small intestine and can be surgically removed (stage I, see Staging for more information) is 55%. Survival is worse if the cancer has spread outside the small intestine. The five-year survival rate for leiomyosarcoma that can be surgically removed is about 50%.

Cancer survival statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of people with this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a person how long he or she will live with small bowel cancer. Learn more about understanding statistics.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's (ACS) publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2013, the ACS website, and the National Cancer Institute.