Adenocarcinoma of the small intestine

We examined eight patients with adenocarcinoma of the small intestine: four were localized in the duodenum and four in the jejunum. We performed six curative resections: two pancreatoduodenectomy, two total pancreatectomy and two jejunal resections; in two cases, only by-pass was performed. Three patients who were resected are alive after more than five years; the other patients died between nine and forty-one months after surgery. The evaluation of the data from our experience and from literature shows that the consistently negative results are related to a delay in diagnosis and therapy.