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Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Prevention

Understanding risk factors enables you to take steps towards preventing gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Here's what you need to consider to assess your risk.

Preventing Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University’s team of sarcoma and gastrointestinal cancer experts is dedicated to treating your gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) with a personalized approach to give you the best outcomes possible.

GISTs can occur anywhere along the digestive tract, but more than half of GISTs originate in the stomach with the small intestine being the second most common location. Additionally, a small percentage of GISTs develop in other areas of the gastrointestinal tract, such as the esophagus and rectum.

In most cases, GIST develops sporadically. This means it occurs at random and there is no known way to prevent it. Experts are still working to understand what causes GISTs and whether there are ways they can be prevented.

Risk Factors

While most GISTs occur sporadically, certain risk factors have been identified. Older age — people over the age of 50 — and certain inherited genetic syndromes have been confirmed as two known gastrointestinal cancer risk factors.

Certain rare genetic syndromes can increase a person’s risk of developing GIST. These genetic syndromes include:

  • Primary familial GIST syndrome: This syndrome is inherited and can run in families, although it is very rare. People who have primary familial GIST syndrome typically develop GISTs earlier in life and they are also more likely to have multiple tumors. This syndrome is caused by a mutation, or change, in the KIT It can also be caused by a mutation in the PDGFRA gene, although that is less common.
  • Neurofibromatosis type 1 (von Recklinghausen disease): A defect in the NF1 gene causes this syndrome. This gene mutation may or may not be inherited. It increases a person’s risk of developing GISTs as well as other tumors, namely nerve sheath tumors called neurofibromas.
  • Carney-Stratakis syndrome: This syndrome is caused by a gene mutation in one of the SDH genes. People with this syndrome are typically younger — in their teens or 20s. They mainly develop GISTs in their stomachs and often have more than one tumor. They also are prone to nerve tumors called paragangliomas.

Signs and Symptoms

While many GISTs are identified incidentally on abdominal imaging for an unrelated issue, there are several signs and symptoms of GIST. One of the most common symptoms is GI bleeding that occurs from the tumor. GIST tumors are vascular and can become friable as they grow, which, in turn, can end up bleeding into the GI tract or abdominal cavity. When this occurs, signs and symptoms can include:

  • Throwing up blood. This can indicate brisk bleeding from the esophagus or stomach. Because the blood may be partially digested, it could resemble coffee grounds rather than bright red liquid.
  • Black and tarry bowel movements, or stools. This can indicate bleeding from the stomach or small intestine.
  • Blood in the stool. This can indicate brisk bleeding into the large intestine. When this occurs, the stool could be red with blood.
  • Fatigue and weakness. This can indicate a low red blood cell count, due to a slower bleed from the tumor. A person who develops anemia can feel weak and tired.

Other signs and symptoms of GIST may include:

  • Stomach pain
  • Increase in abdominal girth
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Feeling full after eating only a small amount of food
  • Loss of appetite
  • Weight loss
  • Problems swallowing (likely a cause of tumors in the esophagus)

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the above symptoms, call your doctor. Bleeding from the tumor is a very serious symptom and should be addressed immediately.

Ways to Prevent Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

At this time, there is no known way to prevent GIST. According to experts, there are no lifestyle-related or environmental causes of GISTs, which means that there is no determined way to prevent these cancers. In addition, the only known gastrointestinal cancer risk factors — older age and specific genetic syndromes — cannot be changed.

However, as is the case with many cancers, adopting certain lifestyle habits may help lower your risk. These include:

  • Don't smoke. If you do smoke, we recommend you take steps to quit.
  • Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, talk with your doctor about implementing a weight loss plan.
  • Eat a well-balanced diet. Limit processed foods, red meat and sugary drinks. Eat a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
  • Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week of moderate exercise.
  • Limit alcohol. The American Cancer Society (ACS) strongly recommends that people not drink. If you do drink, the ACS recommends no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men.