Primary malignant tumors of the small intestine. A twenty-two year experience with thirty patients.

A review of thirty cases of primary malignant small bowel tumors is presented. Chronic obstruction was the presenting symptom most frequently encountered, with an acute abdomen from perforation of the tumor next in frequency. Adenocarcinoma and carcinoid were about equally encountered, and more than half of all tumors were found in the ileum. Three patients are alive and well, two are alive on chemotherapy, and all others are dead. Five of these died of other causes. Of twenty-seven patients explored for symptomatic small bowel cancers, only one is alive free of tumor. Malignant small bowel tumors are difficult to diagnose early and have a poor prognosis.