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World J Gastroenterol. Nov 7, 2021; 27(41): 7125-7133
Published online Nov 7, 2021. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v27.i41.7125
Current update on molecular cytogenetics, diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal stromal tumors
Mindy X Wang, Catherine Devine, Nicole Segaran, Dhakshinamoorthy Ganeshan
Mindy X Wang, Catherine Devine, Dhakshinamoorthy Ganeshan, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Nicole Segaran, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ 85259, United States
Author contributions: Wang MX, Devine C and Segaran N contributed to the manuscript; all authors contributed to the design of the study; Ganeshan D designed the structure of the overall manuscript, made critical revisions related to important intellectual content of the manuscript; and all authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Dhakshinamoorthy Ganeshan, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, United States. dganeshan@mdanderson.org
Received: June 7, 2021
Peer-review started: June 7, 2021
First decision: June 20, 2021
Revised: July 28, 2021
Accepted: September 15, 2021
Article in press: September 15, 2021
Published online: November 7, 2021
Processing time: 152 Days and 2.7 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) often occur as a result of activating mutations in two receptor protein tyrosine kinases: KIT and/or platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α, allowing for effective molecular targeted therapies for these patients. Mutational analyses help predict patient prognosis and treatment response. Imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of GISTs. Multiphasic computed tomography serves as the imaging modality of choice in their diagnosis and follow-up. It is crucial to understand and identify the key imaging features of GISTs and their expected appearance with treatment response and disease recurrence.