Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Your care team draws on Emory’s vast resources in surgical oncology, radiation therapy and medical oncology, to provide the newest, most effective practices and treatments for GIST.

Our multidisciplinary care teams include oncology surgeons, radiologists, pathologists, pharmacists and advanced practice nurses with expertise in GIST. Our teams develop groundbreaking surgeries and treatments that produce better outcomes and are adopted by other leading cancer centers.

The benefits of our multidisciplinary and highly experienced teams include:

• Access to doctors and surgeons who rank among the top cancer experts in the world.
• Weekly review of patient cases by the full team of experts.
• Coordinated scheduling for appointments among various specialties.
• Access to a nurse navigator to assist you through out the treatment process.
• Access to support programs and groups for you and your caregivers.
• Availability of new treatment options within our clinical trials program.

The stage of your disease indicates how much it has spread or metastisized. Early stage cancer is disease limited to the organ where the GIST initially developed. Late stage cancer indicates metastasis to other organs such as the liver or lining of the abdomen. Determining the stage of your cancer will affect your treatment plan. Your Winship care team may use one or more tests and procedures to determine the stage of your cancer including a biopsy and imaging tests.

A surgeon’s approach to treating the cancer depends on many factors including the location of the GIST, the location of the tumor relative to blood supply to the organ and the patient’s overall medical condition. During surgery, any section of the GI tract impacted by GIST may be removed or resected.

Doctors at Winship have developed a minimally invasive procedure that uses both laparoscopy and endoscopy simultaneously, for tumors located in difficult areas of the stomach. In many cases, this procedure leads to complete and safe removal of the tumor and with fewer potential complications and less chances of long-term problems. View a video to learn more.

Targeted therapies: Targeted therapies are drugs that more selectively target cancer cells with fewer side effects. Targeted therapies are used in combination with surgery or alone as a treatment for GIST. In personalized medicine, doctors identify unique characteristics of tumors that make them vulnerable to known drugs so therapy can be tailored to an individual’s cancer. Depending on the stage of your disease, your treating physician may perform additional genetic testing of your tumor to help identify the best personalized treatment for your cancer. In addition to standard targeted therapies, participating in clinical trials maybe an option in certain cases. Clinical trials provide patients access to new medications that are being developed to treat GIST.

In addition to delivering the highest quality medical care, we recognize the importance of the psychological and emotional aspects of living with a cancer diagnosis and of dealing with treatment. Our supportive oncology team addresses these issues in a timely manner with additional support from counselors, nurse navigators, dietitians and social service professionals.

We understand that this is a very stressful time. We welcome your questions and requests for help. Learn what to expect on your first visit.