Current standards and progress in understanding and treatment of GIST

摘要: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), despite being rare, pose a relevant medical problem from the viewpoint of diagnosis and management. GIST are fragile, liable to metastasize often located in delicate structures. Surgical options, therefore, limited. In last decade an improved understanding molecular mechanisms disease has resulted novel modes treatment. The introduction systemic tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy with imatinib significantly outcome prolonged survival patients. For many patients acute threat deadly cancer been transformed into manageable chronic condition. Drug safety, tolerability compliance, subjects concern all long-term therapies, have proven be acceptable for imatinib. present paper provides compact overview epidemiology, pathophysiology morphology GIST, special reference underlying biology. Relevant aspects diagnosis, monitoring reviewed particular emphasis on available clinical evidence recent guidelines.