Can Small Intestine Cancer (Adenocarcinoma) Be Prevented?

At this time, there is no known way to prevent most small intestine adenocarcinomas. There are some factors that might increase the risk for these cancers, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating a diet that’s high in red meats, so making healthier choices concerning these risk factors might lower your risk. Small intestine cancers are rare to begin with, but making these types of healthy choices might also lower your risk of some other types of cancer.

For people at high risk

For some people at high risk of small intestine cancer because of certain inherited syndromes, surgery might be an option to lower risk. For example, people with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) can have a very high risk of small intestine cancer starting in the duodenum (the first part of the small intestine). If a person has many duodenal polyps (growths), doctors may suggest surgery to remove the duodenum before cancer can develop.

The procedure most often used is called a pancreaticoduodenectomy (or Whipple procedure). This is a complex operation that removes the duodenum, part of the pancreas, the gallbladder, the common bile duct, and part of the stomach. It can have major side effects, so it’s important to understand the possible pros and cons before having this type of surgery. This procedure is discussed in more detail in Surgery for Small Intestine Cancer (Adenocarcinoma).

Research is also looking at whether medicines might help lower the risk of small intestine cancer in people with many polyps. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as aspirin, are one type of medicine being studied.