Diagnosis of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GIST)
If your doctor suspects that you have a GIST, he or she will begin with a complete physical (physical exam, discussion of your symptoms, laboratory tests to check your liver function and blood counts).
The next step will be tests to check for the presence of a tumor. These may include:
- Endoscopic exam (using an endoscope—a flexible, lighted tube to view the inside of the esophagus and stomach)
- Endoscopic ultrasound (a special type of endoscope that uses high-frequency sound waves to help visualize tissues)
- Imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
After the presence of a tumor has been confirmed, your doctor may refer you to a surgeon to determine whether it can be removed. Further imaging tests may be ordered to check for the spread of GISTs to other locations.
A biopsy may be performed to confirm the diagnosis of GIST. A pathologist will examine tumor cells from the biopsy and will have them tested for the presence of KIT—a protein that is found in 95% of patients with GIST.
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