What is GIST ?

• GIST is an acronym for "gastro intestinal stromal tumour". It falls into the sarcoma category of cancer.
• GIST is a rare gastro intestinal cancer for which there is no known cure. Surgery is the "gold standard" treatment together with glivec, a drug which "contains" the growth of tumours but does not provide a cure. Traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy do not work.
• GIST tumours often grow quite large before they are discovered and primary tumours often produce few symptoms.
• Exact incidence of GIST is unknown, it is now estimated that in a population size of the USA, between 5,000 and 10,000 people will develop GISTs every year.
• About 40-70% of GISTs occur from the stomach, 20-40% occur from the small intestine, and 5-15% from the colon and rectum. GISTs can also occur in the oesophagus (Less than 5%). Sometimes GISTs develop outside the intestinal tract in the abdominal cavity.
• Typically GIST tumours will metastasise (spread) to the liver and lungs. There are however cases of it spreading to other organs e.g. brain.