| Theme | GIST (gastrointestinal stromal tumor) | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Concept and Definition of GIST | |
| Publish Date | 2005/08 | |
| Author | Nami Nakagomi | Department of Surgical Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine |
| Author | Seiichi Hirota | Department of Surgical Pathology, Hyogo College of Medicine |
| [ Summary ] | In the past, most gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors were assumed to be of smooth muscle origin. However, recent advances in understanding the biology of tumors, using immunohistochemistry and gene analysis, has revealed that most gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors display differentiation towards gastrointestinal pace maker cells, known as interstitial cell of Cajal. Now, those tumors are defined as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) which are immunohistochemically positive for receptor tyrosine kinase KIT. | |