Does anyone have or has anyone heard of GIST (gastrointestional stromal tumor)?!
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Stromal or mesenchymal neoplasms affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are divided into two groups. The less common variety includes tumors that are identical to those that arise in the soft tissues throughout the rest of the body, including lipomas, schwannomas, hemangiomas, usual leiomyomas, and their malignant counterparts (eg, leiomyosarcoma). The second more common group consists of stromal tumors that are collectively referred to as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). They are most often located in the stomach and proximal small intestine, but can occur in any portion of the alimentary tract that contains smooth muscle within its wall, and occasionally in the omentum, mesentery, and peritoneum.
Experience from ongoing GIST treatment trials suggest that the annual incidence of GIST in the United States is at least 4,500 to 6,000 new cases (roughly 15 to 20 cases per million population). Remarkably similar values were derived from population-based studies that reexamined histologically and immunohistochemically all cases of potential GIST diagnosed between 1983 and 2000 within one province of Sweden and between 1990 and 2003 in all of Iceland. In the Swedish study, 288 of the 1460 cases examined were felt to represent GISTs, for an annual incidence of 14.5 per million population. The Icelandic study reported an incidence of 11 per million population.
Although they can arise anywhere within the GI tract, GISTs are most common in the stomach (50 percent) and small bowel (25 percent) [38]. Colon (10 percent), omentum/mesentery (7 percent) and esophagus (5 percent) are less common primary sites.
The pattern of metastatic spread of GISTs differs from other soft tissue sarcomas. GISTs frequently metastasize to the liver, and rarely to regional lymph nodes. They virtually never metastasize to the lungs, whereas this is the most common site of metastasis for LMSs and other soft tissue sarcomas (except liposarcomas).
Daignostic: CT, upper endoscopy, echo
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Yes..and a drug (Gleevec) by Novartis has been shown to be somewhat effective.
It is the same drug used to treat some types of Leukemia
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