A gastrointestinal stromal tumor or GIST develops when the cells of the digestive tract’s lining start to divide and grow uncontrollably, forming masses called tumors. In some cases, this gastrointestinal disease may be cancerous. In other cases, patients may experience different signs, such as bleeding and/or pain. Also, there are instances when GIST tumor symptoms go unnoticed as patients experience no health changes.
In this article, we’ll aim to cover everything there’s to know about GISTs, including symptoms and treatment.
If you still have concerns after reading the article, feel free to take a look at Dr. Omar Rashid’s services for gastrointestinal cancer treatment.
What is GIST?
GISTs are rare tumors that develop when abnormal cells start to divide and grow in the digestive tract lining, which stretches from the esophagus to the anus. In most cases, gastrointestinal stromal tumors occur in the stomach, while most other malignancies arise in the small intestine’s area.
The tumors generally happen in people older than 50, and some may occur spontaneously. In contrast, other GIST tumors “run in families” or are more likely to happen due to hereditary genetic factors.
Again, GIST tumors are rare, whit an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 cases every year in the United States. These masses are rare, and not all of them are cancerous.
Gastrointestinal Disease Causes
The exact causes that ultimately trigger mutations and lead to GIST tumors are unclear; however, medical experts know that most diseases occur due to changes in the KIT oncogene.
While in most cases, gastrointestinal disease occurs due to spontaneous cell changes, inherited tumor disorders may boost the risks of developing GIST tumors in a certain number of people.
Carney-Stratakis syndrome, familial GIST syndrome, and neurofibromatosis type 1 may all include the risk of GIST.
GIST Tumor Symptoms
As mentioned before, some patients experience no symptoms, and the tumors are located accidentally during exams or surgeries for other reasons.
Others with GIST tumors will experience signs such as:
- Bowel obstruction
- Stomach pain
- Tiredness
- Vomiting blood
- Blood in the stool (or on it)
- Difficulties swallowing
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
Diagnosing Gastrointestinal Disease
If your healthcare provider suspects the presence of these tumors, they will first take a look at your medical history, have you get your bloodwork done, and will perform a physical exam.
When GIST tumors are suspected, experts will usually order endoscopy or medical imaging methods to see whether it’s cancer or a different condition.
As a matter of fact, there are several tests for diagnosing gastrointestinal stromal tumors:
- CT scans: These exams will scan the pelvic and abdominal areas to help experts determine the exact location and size of the GIST tumor. The scan will also help see if tumor removal is an option.
- Biopsy: This is a surgical procedure in which doctors remove tissue from the tumor and send it to pathologic exams to check for genetic abnormalities.
- Upper endoscopy: This test may help locate a tumor and obtain tissue. The doctor places a tube with a camera on it during the process. The tube enters through your mouth and esophagus to the stomach.
- PET or positron emission tomography: Another scan that can check whether the tumor is truly in one place and whether removal is possible. If yes, pathologists will later examine the mass to see if it’s truly a GIST tumor. When the masses are large or have spread, only a biopsy is performed after the scan.
Gastrointestinal Disease Stages
When doctors establish a cancer diagnosis, they will also try to determine the stage of the disease, figuring out whether it has spread.
On that note, several experts use the AJCCs or the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s TNM system, which uses four factors:
- The primary tumor’s size, or T
- Whether the malignancy has spread to the lymph nodes nearby or N
- The level of the metastasis or spread to other organs or M
- Growth and division rate of the cells (mitotic rate)
GIST Tumor Treatment
As with other malignancies, the course of action regarding treatment will highly depend on the tumor’s location, size, lab test results, and cancer stage. Furthermore, experts will also consider the patient’s overall health, age, and feelings about the different treatment methods.
Generally, GIST tumor treatments can include surgery but are often accompanied by targeted drug therapy. Radiation and chemotherapy are less popular options.
There are GIST tumors that can be removed by surgery alone. However, when the mass is too large or if cancer has spread to other organs, doctors prescribe imatinib or targeted drug therapy, which attacks the KIT protein that’s responsible for most gastrointestinal stromal tumors and blocks the cells from growing, potentially shrinking the mass to the point where it becomes operable.
No matter which option the patient and doctor choose, medical experts will regularly monitor the condition on a three to six monthly basis to see whether the malignancy shows resistance or is in remission.
GIST Tumor Risks
As discussed above, the medical community knows only a few risk factors. Being 50 years old or older and specific tumor disorders may increase the risks of malignancy. Also, some tumors occur due to spontaneous cell mutations.
As said before, the following tumor disorders may increase the risk of gastrointestinal disease:
- Familial GIST syndrome: The abnormal KIT genes may be passed on.
- Neurofibromatosis type 1: A disorder that develops tumors all over the body.
- Carney-Stratakis syndrome: With this disorder, even younger people may develop GIST masses.
Prevention
Healthy lifestyle changes can lower the risk associated with several cancers; in the case of GIST tumors, there are no contributing lifestyle factors that put people at a higher risk of developing these masses.
On the other hand, there are a few things people can do while receiving treatment to stay healthy and improve their chances of making a full recovery:
- Quitting tobacco
- Cutting down on alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy body weight
- Regular exercise
After receiving cancer treatment, former GIST patients should still attend follow-up care in the form of seeing their provider for medical checkups, including bloodwork, various tests, and procedures to monitor any changes that may happen following the cancer treatment.
Support From Family and Trained Experts Makes a Difference
GIST masses may form anywhere along the intestinal tract and sometimes produce no symptoms and are detected accidentally. Not all GISTS are cancerous, but the treatment of malignant gastrointestinal growths is promising.
Patients diagnosed with these masses may feel overwhelmed, but they should know that they are not alone. Family, friends, and the help of seasoned medical experts can lend the support patients need to get through the battle.
Exceptional medical services, exams, treatment options, and follow-up care are also crucial for success. On that end, our practice continually strives to provide the best for its patients. As such, if you are concerned about your or your loved one’s health, feel free to reach out to us and schedule an appointment.