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Most Effective Treatments for Rectal Cancer With a Gist Tumor

GISTs (gastrointestinal stromal tumors) are a rare type of cancer that strikes between 5,000 and 10,000 people in the United States annually. While most GISTs occur in the stomach, they may also develop in the rectum, small intestine, colon or abdominal cavity. These tumors behave differently than other cancers of the digestive tract, and treatment is most beneficial when handled by a physician with experience working with GISTs.

  1. Treatment

    • The proper treatment of GISTs is developed once a complete analysis of the tumor--its location, stage and whether it has metastasized--has been completed. Since diseases are diagnosed at different stages, not all courses of treatment will be the same. Most treatments will involve either surgery or drugs. According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, clinical trials are underway to develop new, more effective therapies to cure GISTs.

    Surgery

    • Surgery is the primary avenue for GISTs that have not spread beyond the initial tumor. Depending on the location of the tumor, surgeons will perform either open surgery or minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery to take out the GIST. Whichever method he uses, it is important that the surgeon remove the GIST and pseudocapsule (tissue surrounding it) without rupturing the tumor. In most cases, removing lymph nodes or other glands will not be required. Radiation therapy is not effective for GISTs and is not used either before, during or after surgery.

    Medication

    • Most medical treatment involves drugs such as imatinib mesylate, which is used to turn off the signal of a cancer-causing protein. According to the University of Chicago Medical Center, these drugs have dramatically improved treatment for people with GISTs. They are usually employed before surgery to shrink the tumor and then afterward to keep it from coming back. If the cancer is inoperable, people will be administered imatinib until the tumor demonstrates resistance to the drug. If this course of treatment fails, your doctor may suggest sunitinib or drugs available only through clinical trials.

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