Cancer of the Small Intestine Symptoms

• Like most GI cancers, early symptoms of small bowel cancer tend to be vague and nonspecific. They may include abdominal discomfort associated with the following:
  
  
  • Nausea
  
  
  
  • Bloating
  
  
  
  • Loss of appetite


• The following symptoms may indicate advanced disease and should be signs to seek medical attention:
  
  
  • Fatigue
  
  
  
  • Weight loss
  
  
  
  • Iron deficiency anemia
  
  
  
  • Visible blood loss: Blood or a material that looks like coffee grounds may be vomited, or black stools may be passed.
  
  
  
  • Severe nausea and vomiting because of a blockage in the small bowel by the enlarging cancer: Doctors frequently diagnose small intestine cancer during surgery for unexplained bowel obstruction.
  
  
  
  • Jaundice (yellowish skin): This is a symptom in people with cancer that involves the upper small intestine because of blockage of the bile ducts draining the liver.