It may come back in the small intestine or in another part of the body. Treatment option overview How cancer of the small intestine is treated There are treatments for all patients with cancer of the small intestine. Surgery to remove the cancer is the most common treatment. Lymph nodes in the area may also be removed and looked at under a microscope to see if they contain cancer. If the tumor is large, a doctor may cut out a section of the small intestine containing the cancer and reconnect the intestine.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells.
Chemotherapy may be taken by pill, or it may be put in the body through a needle in a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body, and can kill cancer cells outside the intestine. If the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the operation, the patient may be given chemotherapy after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Chemotherapy given after an operation is called adjuvant chemotherapy. Biological therapy tries to get the body to fight cancer.