GIST
Medical abbreviation · Gastroenterology
| Stands for | Gastrointestinal stromal tumor |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
GIST stands for Gastrointestinal stromal tumor, a gastroenterology abbreviation.
Mesenchymal tumor of the GI tract, most often in the stomach or small intestine, arising from interstitial cells of Cajal and usually driven by KIT or PDGFRA mutations. Small lesions may be watched; larger ones are resected, and advanced disease responds to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib.
Example: EUS shows a 3 cm hypoechoic submucosal gastric mass suspicious for GIST; biopsy sent for CD117 staining.
Usage notes
Pronounced "jist". GIST is the most common sarcoma of the digestive tract. Before KIT (CD117) immunostaining became routine around the late 1990s, many were misclassified as leiomyomas or leiomyosarcomas. Imatinib's success in GIST, approved for this use in 2002, became a model for targeted cancer therapy. Recurrence risk depends on size, mitotic rate and location.
Related abbreviations
More gastroenterology abbreviations
- GAVE – Gastric antral vascular ectasia
- GEJ – Gastroesophageal junction
- GERD – Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- GES – Gastric emptying study
- GI – Gastrointestinal
- GIB – Gastrointestinal bleeding
- GORD – Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease
- GU – Gastric ulcer
- H. pylori – Helicobacter pylori
- HCC – Hepatocellular carcinoma
- HE – Hepatic encephalopathy
- HH – Hiatal hernia
See all 85 gastroenterology abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.