Gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Abstract

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare neoplasias, but they represent the most common non-epithelial (mesenchymal) tumor of the digestive tract. GISTs originate in an intestinal pacemaker cell called the intestinal cell of Cajal and express the cell-surface receptor KIT (CD117). They were first defined as a separate category in 1983, and since then important data regarding their clinical behavior, histopathological particularities, immunohistopathology, molecular biology and therapeutic possibilities were reported. In this article we aim to present a review of the information concerning this subject available in the medical literature at the moment.