Systemic treatments of small intestinal adenocarcinomas: systematic review and meta-analysis

Small intestinal adenocarcinomas (SIAs) are associated with a poor prognosis. Because of lack of high-quality evidence, guideline for colorectal cancer are often followed in the treatment of SIAs. Systematic review and meta-analysis of 55 retrospective cohort studies and prospective phase 2 studies (35,176 patients) found that adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with increased overall survival in stage I-III SIAs, irrespective of tumor location. Palliative chemotherapy was also associated with overall survival benefit. Bevacizumab added to chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone was associated with significantly prolonged progression-free survival.