Support for Small Intestine Cancer

NYU Langone doctors at Perlmutter Cancer Center encourage regular follow-up visits after your treatment is complete.

Appointments may be as frequent as every three to six months. Over time, they may taper off to once a year. During these visits, doctors may perform CT scans or recommend endoscopic procedures.

Doctors and other specialists also offer various services to help you manage treatment side effects. These include physical rehabilitation, supportive care, also known as palliative care, and integrative care to relieve discomfort, nutrition programs, and psychological and social support.

Physical Rehabilitation

Doctors at NYU Langone’s Rusk Rehabilitation sometimes prescribe in-hospital physical therapy after surgery for small intestine cancer. This can help you return home more quickly. Doctors also prescribe medications to manage postoperative pain, which may affect mobility.

After an evaluation, Rusk Rehabilitation doctors can prescribe an outpatient rehabilitation program with the goal of increasing your independence. This program focuses on strength training and aerobic exercise to address weakness and fatigue related to the tumor and treatment. It also aims to improve balance, flexibility, and mobility.

Supportive Care and Integrative Health Therapies

People who have small intestine cancer may experience side effects, either from the cancer or its treatments. Supportive care experts can help manage side effects such as pain, fatigue, loss of appetite, or stress, and can help improve quality of life.

Doctors may recommend integrative health therapies such as acupuncture, which may lessen discomfort. Yoga and massage therapy can help reduce stress and enhance wellbeing.

Neuropathy Management

One side effect of chemotherapy may be neuropathy, in which the nerves are damaged. This results in numbness, tingling, pain, and weakness in the hands, feet, arms, legs, or in other parts of the body.

Doctors at Rusk Rehabilitation may prescribe medication to ease the discomfort associated with neuropathy. They may also recommend physical therapy to help ensure that neuropathy doesn’t interfere with your balance, strength, or ability to walk and perform daily activities.

Nutritional Counseling

NYU Langone doctors encourage healthy eating, which is particularly important if your digestive tract has been altered by Whipple surgery. You may experience changes in the types of food you are able to tolerate. For example, fatty foods may be more difficult to digest. Registered oncology dietitians at Perlmutter Cancer Center can help you adapt to your diet.

Psychological and Social Support

Support groups and one-on-one counseling sessions with a psycho-oncologist, a healthcare provider trained to address the needs of people with cancer, are available at Perlmutter Cancer Center.

Counseling may help you and your family members cope with stress or anxiety. Social workers can help you address any financial matters or logistical issues that arise, such as challenges with insurance reimbursement or traveling to medical appointments.