Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor – General Information

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor – Symptoms

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor – Treatment

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor is usually diagnosed during a routine test for other more common conditions. Generally, the doctor applies several procedures to diagnose the disease which can include upper endoscopy, which is the inspection of organs or cavities using a device called endoscope, laparoscopy, which is an exploration using a device also known as laparoscope, ultrasounds, which uses sound waves to take images of the patient’s internal organs, computed tomography scan, which is a radiographic type of procedure which works by producing a film that represents a detailed cross section of organ structure, and so on. In most cases, these tests help the doctor to know if the patient suffers from Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, where the tumor is located, what is the size of the tumor, or if the cancer has spread to the other areas of the gastrointestinal tract. Usually, after the patient has been diagnosed with the disease, the doctors perform a biopsy, a tissue sample, to determine if the tumor is malignant, cancerous, benign, or non cancerous. This kind of procedure helps the doctor to determine what type of cancer the patient suffers from.

The treatment for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor depends on the size and location of the tumor, or if it is or not cancerous and if it has widely spread, also on the patient’s overall medical status. There are cases which require a whole team of doctors to determine the best treatment for the patient. The treatment option for this kind of disease can consist in surgery, radiation therapies and chemotherapy. The main goal of the surgical approach is to entirely remove the tumor and the surrounding affected tissue. There are cases in which the tumor has spread too much and has affected the other organs. Usually, doctors administrate a drug called imatinib before the surgical procedure. The operation consists in removing the whole tumor to prevent the recurring. There are cases in which the doctor can remove the surrounding organs, depending on the gravity and location of the tumor. Usually, doctors do not remove the nearby lymph nodes because the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor does not spread to them. The second major treatment option for this kind of condition is the radiation therapy, which uses high energy X - rays or certain particles to kill the cancerous cells. The most common form of the therapy is also known as external beam radiation, which is administered by a machine outside the patient’s body. Scientists have discovered a more efficient form of the external radiation therapy called intensity modulated radiation therapy, which reduces the number of killed healthy cells and causes fewer side effects. When the therapy uses implants, it is called internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy. Another way to treat Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor is using chemotherapy, which is based on certain drugs to kill the cancer cells. There many ways to administrate the drugs: on the oral way, by mouth, intravenously, into a vein, injected either into a muscle, under the skin, or directly into the tumor, and applied on the surface of the patient’s skin.