Is gastrointestinal stromal tumor curable?

For people with a localized GIST, surgery is the standard treatment and should be performed whenever possible. If the GIST cannot be completely removed by surgery, such as if it has spread somewhere else, it often cannot be cured. However, surgery may be considered if there is only a limited amount of disease.

Is a gastrointestinal stromal tumor cancerous?

A gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a type of cancer that begins in the digestive system. GIST s happen most often in the stomach and small intestine. A GIST is a growth of cells that’s thought to form from a special type of nerve cells. These special nerve cells are in the walls of the digestive organs.

Do GIST tumors go away?

For some people, the GIST may never go away completely. These people may get regular treatments with targeted therapy drugs or other therapies to help keep the cancer in check and to help relieve symptoms. Learning to live with cancer that doesn’t go away can be difficult and very stressful.

What drugs are used to treat GIST?

The targeted drugs used to treat GISTs are called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), because they target proteins that are tyrosine kinases, such as KIT and PDGFRA….Other tyrosine kinase inhibitors

  • Sorafenib (Nexavar)
  • Nilotinib (Tasigna)
  • Dasatinib (Sprycel)
  • Pazopanib (Votrient)

Can stromal tumors be benign?

GISTs can be benign (non-cancerous) at first, but many can turn into cancer and these are then called sarcomas. Surgery is the usual treatment if the tumor has not spread.

How long do you stay in the hospital after GIST surgery?

Expect to stay in the hospital for 7 to 10 days after GIST surgery. Recovery from laparoscopic surgery is faster than with open surgery. It should take between 3 and 6 weeks for you to recover from surgery, but it can take up to 1 year to fully heal.

Do GIST tumors grow fast?

Some gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) grow slowly over time and may never cause a problem for a patient, while others can grow and spread very quickly. They are most common in the stomach and small intestine but may be found anywhere in or near the GI tract.