Objective To evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic values of capsule endoscopy (CE) for small bowel tumors (SBTs). Methods Totally 773 patients with suspected SBTs disease underwent CE during October, 2006 to December, 2011. Further examination was done for patients with suspected SBTs, and the final diagnosis was made by CE and pathological confirmation. Results SBTs were detected in 21 patients (14 males, and 7 females, mean age \[53.9±15.7\] years), with a detection rate of 2.7%. Nineteen patients had obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and two had abdominal pain. Four events of capsule retention occurred at the lesion sites. Nineteen patients underwent surgical treatment and two received chemotherapy; the patients were followed up for a mean of (19±14) (range 5-32) months; and there were two death cases due to metastasis (one at 5 months of follow-up and the other at 17 months). Conclusion CE is an effective choice for diagnosis of suspected SBTs, which is of guidance value for the treatment and prognosis of SBTs.