Tumors of the small intestine

Tumors of the small intestine are relatively uncommon. They represent only 3 to 6 percent of all abnormal growths in the gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal tumors can be benign or malignant.

Most tumors of the small bowel are benign and usually are discovered between ages 40 and 60. The most frequent symptoms are pain, nausea and vomiting, and bleeding. There are several types of benign tumors, including lipomas, leiomyomas, angiomas, and adenomas. These tumors do not spread. They often are an incidental finding on an X-ray made because of another problem, although some benign tumors can cause bleeding.

A small percentage of tumors of the small intestine are malignant. The most common malignant types are adenocarcinoma, leiomyocarcoma, carcinoid tumor, and lymphoma.

Bleeding, perforation, and obstruction are common manifestations of a leiomyocarcoma, whereas a carcinoid tumor may cause no symptoms before it spreads.

The diagnosis of a tumor in the small intestine is often made with a barium X-ray.

Benign tumors are not life-threatening, but they can cause dangerous symptoms such as bleeding and obstruction. Like any malignancy, cancer of the small intestine is dangerous and life- threatening illness and requires prompt treatment.

Surgery is usually recommended for all benign tumors that cause symptoms and for malignancies that have not become too widespread for surgical treatment. At times, the X-ray examination of the intestine cannot distinguish a benign from a malignant tumor, and surgical exploration of the abdomen and removal of the tumor are necessary before the diagnosis can be made. When a tumor has metastasized to such an extent that surgery will not be effective, steroid medications, chemotherapy, and radiation may be used.

Ex. 21. Pronounce and memorize the words to the theme studied:

Hereditary спадковий; von Hippel-Lindau disease ангіофакоматоз; outcome наслідок; advocate рекомендувати; infancy початкова стадія розвитку.

Ex. 22. Read and translate the following text: