title: Current Standard and Future Perspectives in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.
abstract: The origin of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) from interstitial cells of Cajal or their precursor cells has been understood since the early 1990s. The first mutations within the KIT-gene have been described in the late 1990s. Even though these mutations were the breakthrough of small molecular therapy, we still do not know the factors responsible for their malignant transformation. Until then, we can only speak of recurrence risk. This review gives an introduction on the current understanding of GIST and highlights the remaining questions for diagnosis, tumor progression, and treatment in progressive disease.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Oncology, University Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Silke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cameron
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beham
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Schildhaus
mesh_terms: D024221:Antineoplastic Protocols / Q000592:standards; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans
keywords: Diagnosis and treatment; Gastrointestinal stromal tumors; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors 