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What is gist cancer?

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Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) start in special cells in the wall of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, also known as the digestive tract. To understand GISTs, it helps to know something about the structure and function of the GI tract. read more

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. GISTs arise in the smooth muscle pacemaker interstitial cell of Cajal, or similar cells. They are defined as tumors whose behavior is driven by mutations in the KIT gene, PDGFRA gene, or BRAF kinase. 95% of GISTs stain positively for KIT. Most occur in the stomach and gastric GISTs have a lower malignant potential than tumors found elsewhere in the GI tract. read more

GIST is a more difficult kind of cancer to diagnose than more common cancers like breast and prostate cancer. While a doctor may suspect that a particular cancer is GIST based on how it looks on a CT scan, the only way to be sure is through pathology -- studying the tumor cells in a laboratory. read more

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