Small bowel adenocarcinoma - report of two cases and review of literature

Nomograms predict survival of patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma: a SEER-based study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare malignant tumor with a poor prognosis. Most patients with SBA are diagnosed with advanced-stage disease. Due to the lack of randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, it is difficult to predict the prognosis of patients with SBA. Thus, this study aimed to establish a prognostic nomogram for evaluating the prognosis of SBA patients.

METHODS

The clinical features and follow-up data of all patients diagnosed with SBA during 2004-2016 were summarized from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We separated these patients into training and validation groups. Multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent prognostic variables for predicting cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). According to the independent risk factors, we established nomograms and used the calibration curves to evaluate the accuracy.

RESULTS

The data of 3301 patients with SBA were collected from the SEER database. The multivariate analysis showed that age, marital status, tumor site, grade, TNM stage and surgical history were associated with CSS and OS (P < 0.05). Based on these results, we established nomograms of CSS and OS that can predict the 3- and 5-year survival rates of SBA patients (C-index > 0.7). The calibration curves showed that the predicted survival was very close to the actual survival.

CONCLUSION

We analyzed the independent risk factors for prognosis of SBA patients, and established nomograms to predict the 3- and 5-year survival rates of OS and CSS. These new prognostic tools can help clinicians to predict the survival of patients with SBA, further to guide treatment strategy.

A case of small bowel adenocarcinoma wherein nivolumab conferred temporary benefit in disease control

Small bowel adenocarcinomas are rare. There is no definite consensus as to whether they should be treated in a manner similar to gastric or to colon cancer. We report the case of a young woman with a primary jejunal adenocarcinoma, bilateral ovary metastases, and peritoneal dissemination. First- and second-line chemotherapy for the gastric cancer failed. She was then treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab and had temporary improvement in her condition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case wherein nivolumab has been used to treat small bowel adenocarcinoma.

Primary small bowel adenocarcinoma: current view on clinical features, risk and prognostic factors, treatment and outcome

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare but increasing cause of gastrointestinal malignancy, being both a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. The goal of treatment is margin negative resection of a lesion and local lymphadenectomy, followed by modern adjuvant chemotherapy combinations in selected cases. Improved outcomes in patients with SBA are encouraging, but elucidation of mechanisms of carcinogenesis and risk factors as well as improved treatment for this malignancy is very needed.

Small bowel adenocarcinoma in Lynch syndrome: A case report

Small bowel adenocarcinoma is part of the tumor spectrum of Lynch syndrome, which is caused by germline mutations in the mismatch repair genes. The present study describes the case of a 51-year-old man fulfilling the Amsterdam II criteria for Lynch syndrome, who had a 15-mm early-stage colorectal cancer resected endoscopically from the ascending colon. Due to upper abdominal discomfort after eating and consequent anorexia, a computed tomography scan performed 1 month later showed a tumoral mass of the upper jejunum with local lymphadenopathy. The laparotomy revealed a completely obstructing mass. Intraoperative frozen section showed a small bowel adenocarcinoma. Subsequent genetic testing confirmed the germline mutation of mutL homolog 1. The patient received 6 cycles of an adjuvant folinic acid, fluorouracil and ocaliplatin chemotherapy regimen. The latest CT scan, 16 months after the chemotherapy, did not show any recurrence. This case highlights the importance of considering the possibility of small bowel adenocarcinoma in patients with upper bowel obstruction, particularly for patients with Lynch syndrome.

Diagnostic Value of Plain and Contrast Radiography, and Multi-slice Computed Tomography in Diagnosing Intestinal Obstruction in Different Locations

Early intestinal obstruction is easily misdiagnosed. Many physicians consider terminal bouton if computed tomography (CT) scan is done. However, different examinations provide diverse information and significance. This retrospective, randomized, clinical study investigated the diagnostic value of three imaging modalities for intestinal obstruction, supine and upright (or decubitus) plain abdominal radiography, contrast radiography using Gastrografin, and 64 multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT). A total 142 patients with intestinal obstruction were examined. The diagnostic accuracy of plain radiography, contrast radiography, and MSCT for detecting small bowel obstruction was 62.5, 85, and 77.5 %, for localizing the obstruction was 0, 90, and 78.75 %, and for determining the cause of obstruction was 0, 71, and 65 %, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy for detecting large bowel obstruction was 53.23, 73.17, and 92 %, and for localizing the obstruction was 38.17, 60.98, and 98 %, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of MSCT in determining the cause of obstruction was 91 %. None of the patients administered Gastrografin experienced any adverse effects. In conclusion, MSCT has great diagnostic value in identifying the site and cause of intestinal obstruction, especially in cases of large bowel obstruction. Contrast radiography using Gastrografin was effective in diagnosing and treating small bowel obstruction, making it a beneficial adjunct to MSCT.