Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors، Review of Literature

Introduction & Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are the most common mesenchymal tumors of gastro intestinal tract. These tumors have lower prevalence compared to tumor arising from mucosa. So there is less evidence about them. This article tries to summarize present studies in this area. Among 2257 articles found in medline, 158 articles were selected because of their more relevance. After more evaluation, 58 papers were used for our summary. The incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors is mostly in the fifth and sixth decades if life. These tumors originate from mesenteric ganglion cells. Most of these tumors express C-kit and CD34 antigens, which enable differentiation of these tumors from other mesenchymal tumors. Clinical manifestation of these tumors is not specific and the most common manifestation is long-lasting gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopic and endosonographic evaluations are helpful in diagnosis of these lesions. Complete surgical resection of these tumors is the basis of treatment. Imatinib which inhibits intracellular tyrosine kinase, is an effective medical treatment, and is used in patients with unresectable or metastatic tumors, both as neoadjuvant and as adjuvant treatment.