Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Gastrointestinal Tract

**Semantic type:** Neoplastic Process

**Definition:** A stromal tumor that originates from the interstitial cells of Cajal. It may involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. The majority of cases occur in the stomach. Morphologic variants include the epithelioid cell type, spindle cell type, and mixed cell type. Most cases contain KIT- or PDGFRA-activating mutations. Lesions with a diameter greater than 10cm and more than 5 mitotic figures per 50HPF tend to have a more aggressive clinical course. Until recently, surgery has been the only effective therapy for this tumor. However, many patients still experience recurrence. A KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib mesylate (also known as STI-571 or Gleevec), is now effective in the treatment of relapsed and unresectable cases.

**Synonyms:** - Digestive Stromal Neoplasm - Digestive Stromal Tumor - Digestive Tract Stromal Neoplasm - Digestive Tract Stromal Tumor - Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) of the Gastrointestinal Tract - Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of Gastrointestinal Tract - Gastrointestinal Tract Stromal Neoplasm - Gastrointestinal Tract Stromal Tumor - Stromal Neoplasm of Digestive Tract - Stromal Neoplasm of Gastrointestinal Tract - Stromal Neoplasm of the Digestive Tract - Stromal Neoplasm of the Gastrointestinal Tract - Stromal Tumor of Digestive Tract - Stromal Tumor of Gastrointestinal Tract - Stromal Tumor of the Digestive Tract - Stromal Tumor of the Gastrointestinal Tract