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Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours

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Surgical Oncology Manual

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract. These tumours result from activating mutations in the KIT (CD117) proto-oncogene or platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha gene (PDGFRAa). They can arise in any location throughout the gastrointestinal tract but are found primarily in the stomach (60 %) and small intestine (30 %). Surgical resection is the cornerstone of management for localized, non-metastatic GISTs and remains the only curative primary treatment. Despite undergoing complete resection, however, at least 50 % of patients develop tumour recurrence within 18–24 months with an associated 5-year overall survival rate of ~50 %. The development of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor Imatinib mesylate has led to improvements in recurrence-free survival and overall survival in select patients following surgical resection.

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Correspondence to Jennifer Racz M.D., M.B.A., F.R.C.S.C. .

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© 2016 University of Toronto General Surgery Oncology Program

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Racz, J., Blackstein, M., Quereshy, F.A. (2016). Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours. In: Wright, F., Escallon, J., Cukier, M., Tsang, M., Hameed, U. (eds) Surgical Oncology Manual. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26276-5_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26276-5_11

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