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Imaging of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

  • Chapter
Oncology

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare stromal neoplasm that accounts for 5% of all soft tissue sarcomas.1 It is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract. Before the advent of immunohistologic methods, most spindle cell sarcomas of the gastrointestinal tract were considered to be leiomyomas or leiomyosarcomas, with occasional examples of neurogenic tumors. GIST defines a distinct group of gastrointestinal tumors that originate from the intestinal cells of Cajal. These cells act as regulators of bowel peristalsis and therefore are also called pacemaker cells. Cajal cells normally express cKIT (CD 117), which is a tyrosine kinase growth factor receptor. This cKIT immunoreactivity is the best defining feature of GISTs, distinguishing them from true smooth muscle tumors (i.e., leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas) and tumors arising from neural crest derivatives (i.e., schwannomas and neurofibromas); this is considered the most specific criterion for the diagnosis of GIST. In addition, targeting the cKIT receptor with a cKIT tyrosine kinase inhibitor [STI-571, imatinib (gleevec); Novartis, Basel, Switzerland] has been successfully utilized in treating patients with GIST

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Ihab R. Kamel MD, PhD (Assistant Professor)

  2. The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elliot K. Fishman MD (Professor)

Authors
  1. Ihab R. Kamel MD, PhD
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  2. Elliot K. Fishman MD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Surgery Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Alfred E. Chang MD (Hugh Cabot Professor of Surgery and Chief) (Hugh Cabot Professor of Surgery and Chief)

  2. Breast Oncology Program, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Daniel F. Hayes MD (Clinical Director) (Clinical Director)

  3. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York University School of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Harvey I. Pass MD (Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Head) (Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Head)

  4. Thoracic Oncology, New York University School of Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA

    Harvey I. Pass MD (Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Head) (Professor and Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Head)

  5. Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, USA

    Richard M. Stone MD (Associate Professor and Clinical Director) (Associate Professor and Clinical Director)

  6. Adult Leukemia Program, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard M. Stone MD (Associate Professor and Clinical Director) (Associate Professor and Clinical Director)

  7. Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA, USA

    Patricia A. Ganz MD (American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Director and Professor) (American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Director and Professor)

  8. Schools of Public Health and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Patricia A. Ganz MD (American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Director and Professor) (American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor, Director and Professor)

  9. Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospitals of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Timothy J. Kinsella MD (Vincent K. Smith Professor and Chairman) (Vincent K. Smith Professor and Chairman)

  10. Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Center, Madison, WI, USA

    Joan H. Schiller MD (Melanie Heald Professor of Medical Oncology) (Melanie Heald Professor of Medical Oncology)

  11. Health Media Research Laboratory, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, USA

    Victor J. Strecher PhD, MPH (Professor and Director and Associate Director) (Professor and Director and Associate Director)

  12. Cancer Prevention and Control, University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Victor J. Strecher PhD, MPH (Professor and Director and Associate Director) (Professor and Director and Associate Director)

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Kamel, I.R., Fishman, E.K. (2006). Imaging of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor. In: Chang, A.E., et al. Oncology. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-31056-8_30

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-31056-8_30

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