There are approximately 900 new cases of GIST a year in the UK[1] . They can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract with approximately 50% found in the stomach, 25% in the small bowel and 10% in the colon and rectum.
Some Symptoms of GIST
- Gastrointestinal bleeding (the most common presenting symptom)
- Symptoms of abdominal mass and bowel obstruction.
- Feeling full early after eating
- Bloating
- Fatigue (because of anaemia)
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Night sweats.
How is it diagnosed
If, after taking a history and a physical exam, there is a reason to suspect that you may have a GIST, the doctor will use imaging tests, or endoscopy exams to help find out if it is cancer. If it is a GIST, further tests will be done to help determine the extent (stage) of the cancer.[2]
Treatment and side effects
- The main treatment is a complete surgical resection-. Careful handling is needed so as to avoid tumour rupture and intra-abdominal dissemination. Open, trans-sacral or endoscopic surgery are treatment options. Laparoscopic surgery may also be used for some tumours.[3] [4]
- Subsequent management depends on the risk of recurrence according to the prediction of the tumour’s behaviour.
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy is common. Some side-effects include anaemia, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, skin rashes and liver toxicity. [5] [6]
- A follow-up CT scan should be performed at three months after surgery 4
- Chemotherapy and radiation therapy is used less often.
If your cancer was misdiagnosed, diagnosed later than it should have been or mistreated you may be able to bring a medical negligence claim. Our clinical negligence team can help you bring a compensation claim, which can give you and your family peace of mind.