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Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Cancer

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Synonyms

GIST

Definition

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of sarcoma (i.e., a connective tissue neoplasia). GIST is a rare cancer affecting the digestive tract or nearby structures within the abdomen.

Characteristics

Epidemiology and Clinical-Pathological Features of GIST

GISTs are believed to arise from the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), the pacemaker cells for the autonomous movement of the GI tract. Other studies have suggested that GISTs arise from interstitial mesenchymal precursor stem cells; however, pinpointing the progenitor cell has been difficult. Although it is considered a rare tumor, nearly 4,500–6,000 new cases are diagnosed annually in the USA. The peak incidence of GIST occurs later in life with a median age of 58 years; however, there are also reports of pediatric GISTs. The most common sites of origin for GIST are the stomach (39–70 %) and small intestine (31–45 %). Other primary sites include the large bowel, rectum, appendix, and rarely the...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Chi Tarn

  2. The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA

    Andrew K. Godwin

Authors
  1. Chi Tarn
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  2. Andrew K. Godwin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chi Tarn .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Tarn, C., Godwin, A.K. (2015). Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2336-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_2336-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

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