Intermediate-Risk Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor with Advanced Gastric Cancer

GIST are a unique mesenchymal tumor which are positive for CD117. It is rare for a GIST to occur concurrently with another type of gastrointestinal (GI) tumor. There is minimal knowledge on the causes. Some scholars believe the etiology for GIST with another GI tumor is long-term exposure to unknown pathogens. In these conditions, both mesenchymal and epithelial cells of patients with GIST are subject to carcinogenic transformation, leading to the development of synchronous tumors. Some other scholars propose that the two malignant tumors have the same mutated tumor suppressor genes. For patients with dual tumors, it is necessary to comply to the principle of individualized treatment, carry out multi-disciplinary team (MDT) discussion, and develop suitable treatment regimens. On the other hand, the presence of synchronous tumors may increase the risk of metastasis. Thus, it is necessary to arrange close follow-up for patient with dual tumors.