American Board of Surgery Qualifying Exam (ABS QE) Practice Test

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In terms of small bowel metastases, which cancer is identified as the most prevalent?

Breast cancer
Prostate cancer
Melanoma
Lung cancer

The correct answer is: Melanoma

When considering small bowel metastases, melanoma is recognized as the most prevalent source among the common types of cancer. This is attributed to the aggressive nature of melanoma and its tendency to metastasize to various organs, including the small intestine. Melanoma cells can break away from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system, establishing secondary tumors in distant sites such as the small bowel. While other cancers, like lung cancer and breast cancer, can also metastasize to the small bowel, they generally do so less frequently compared to melanoma. Prostate cancer typically has a predilection for bones and lymph nodes rather than the gastrointestinal tract. The unique behavior of melanoma, with its high metastatic potential and affinity for atypical sites like the small bowel, solidifies its position as the most prevalent cancer contributing to small bowel metastases.