Risk Factors
A risk factor is a characteristic, behavior, or condition that increases the chances of getting a disease. Here are the risk factors for developing small intestine cancer:
Age
The risk of developing small intestine cancer increases with age. The average age of the small intestine cancer diagnosis is 60 years.
Gender
Men have a slightly higher risk of developing small intestine cancer than women.
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Celiac disease/Inflammatory bowel disease(Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis):
Celiac disease is a disease in which eating gluten causes the body's immune system to attack the lining of the intestines. Crohn's disease and ulcertive colitis are conditions in which the immune system attacks the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These diseases increase the risk of developing small intestine cancer.
Diet
Eating a diet high in fat may increase the risk of developing small intestine cancer. Eating a diet high in fiber may help lower this risk.
Inherited diseases
People with certain inherited diseases such as FAP (familial adenomatous polyposis), Lynch syndrome or HNPCC (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer or Lynch syndrome), and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome have an increased risk of developing small intestine cancer. All patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma should be testing for the presence of Lynch syndrome by testing for mismatch repair protein expression or the presence of microsatellite instability.
