Gastric GIST: When Can We Think About It?

Document Type : Mini Review

Author

Secretaria Municipal de Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil

Abstract

This study analyzes the symptoms of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and its causes from a clinical view to determine when people can say that they suspect a tumor. GIST is a sarcoma that is not common in people; however, even those who have it find it hard to notice, because it does not have symptoms. Furthermore, it does not affect a person in the early stages. The challenge extends to medics who can easily confuse the tumor with another gastric sarcoma. The tumor affects the stomach more, followed by the small intestines, and then the rectum. The cause of the disease is still unknown, although doctors associate it with several inherited syndromes. Syndromes, such as primary familial syndrome, result in a tumor by affecting the gastric tract muscle cells. Some of the symptoms that are likely to show that a person has a sarcoma include abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness earlier than one expects. Doctors can compare these symptoms with the cause of GIST and emphasize the possibility of the presence of a tumor.

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