Alterations of digestive functions
Introduction
This system of digestion is commonly referred to as the gastrointestinal tract. Alterations of the functions of gastrointestinal tract, is usually a range of medical complications. This is normally characterized by pain in the abdomen, disturbed bowel movement, vomiting, and nausea among many other related symptoms. Digestive disorders may involve any of the organs such as the mouth, stomach, esophagus, small intestines, colon, rectum, and anus. Gastrointestinal tract troubles can be either mild or moderate, or sometimes very severe, ranging from mere stomach upset to colon cancer. The following problems and conditions are linked with digestive disorders; ulcer, esophageal reflux disease, pancreatitis, proctitis, GISTs, diarrhea, and constipation among others. The subject of discussion is pertaining to how Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) causes an alteration of the digestive system (Janusz 11).
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs)
Etiology
The term gastrointestinal stromal tumor is specifically used to refer to immunohistochemichally mesenchymal neoplasm present in gastrointestinal (GI) tract plus abdomen. Usually, GISTs consist of majority of the GI mesenchymal tumors. The GISTs occur in the spindle cell and are never epithelioid, or pleomorphic mesenchymal tumors. They have a feature that enables them to appear almost on every surface for example in the GI tract plus abdomen. Under ordinary circumstances, a variety of GI-mesenchymal growths are contained in the gastro intestinal tracts. Most of the GISTs posses KIT accelerating mutations. These kind of mutations usually cause an activation to the KIT tyrosine kinase which is autonomous of ligand fastening; the second is a normal phenomenon of KIT opening (Janusz 14). The KIT activation results to the emergence KIT signaling route, which in turn activities the cellular profile-ration. Occurrence of a KIT metamorphosis is a suitable support for the verdict of GIST in cases where the absence of mutation is not an issue.
In terms of occurrence, GISTs occur throughout the tubular GI-tract all the way to the anus from the esophagus. The most common site is stomach (60-70%), followed by small intestine, rectum and colon. Only a few occasions have been reported in the esophagus and appendix. A number of GISTs are diagnosed as disseminated intra-abdominal tumors involving multiple intestines, peritoneal surfaces and other abdominal organs. In such cases primary source is hard to determine (Manual 3).
Clinical appearance of GIST
Tiny GISTs are usually incidentally discovered on the outside characteristic of stomach plus intestines at the time of radiologic studies plus surgery for distinct circumstances. Minute rectal GISTs are frequently palpated as nodules at the time of regular prostrate plus gynecologic checkups. Infrequently, GIST is a minor endoscopic discovery. Gastrointestinal blood loss or itching ulcer-like pains are known signs of GIST. Several patients contact anemia as a result of chronic bleeding. Various patients deserve a wide clinical examination due to the presence of localized GIST. The GISTs that cannot trigger ulcers presence usually emerge into considerable sizes and exhibit little signs. The tumors formed result to palpation of the abdomen where the complication triggers a more serious case that causes undesirable holes in the intestines (Manual 6). A clinical scope detects the complication as a tumor that occurs strewn in the abdomen.
CT scan plus an examination based on magnetic imaging is useful in determining the levels to which the growth has affected the body of a person. It also shows the how the tumor has grown and its effect with the sensitive organs of the body. Studies show that tumors that occur outside are mostly encountered as compared with those which are intraluminal. A few GISTS are found to be pure intramural growths. Dissimilar patterns are evident which include hemispherical appearing nodules plus huge crystic tumors. The growth also exhibits appearance that resembles masses that are plaque-like (Janusz 23). Minute or intermediate gastric GIST usually forms into a hemispherical structure below the mucosa into a lumen resulting to a unique elevation. Tumor malignancies are not in association with the ulcers that occur within the GISTs.
Huge GISTs inside stomach plus the intestines create externally protruding masses, whose widespread extra-GI element can cover the tumor starting point from the stomach or the colon. The growths are frequently centrally necrotic plus cystic consisting hemorrhagic-necrotic substance plus viable tumor that appears as a contracted tangential rim. Definite GISTs present in the intestines form pseudodiverticles due to fistula ion tumor inside intestinal lumen. Usually, GISTs associating the periampullary area widen towards the pancreatic head area just close to the outside partition of duodenum. They cause a clinical plus a radiological simulation of a prime tumor occurring in the pancreas. Aminor GIST in the colon is capable of protruding towards the inside to create a polyp that is intraluminal. Huge GISTs are evident in the rectovaginal area in females. It is found in the prostrate part in men and may trigger prostrate tumor. Huge tumors also exhibit creation of cysts (Manual 11).
Tumor actions plus Prognostic Factors
Huge clinicopathologic sequence signifies that GISTs posses a range from tiny kind, usually incidentally known nodules that overt incidence of sarcoma. The succession from oncologic hospitals appears in a manner that show inaccurate notion of GISTs as typical malignant growths. The virtual rate of benign plus malignant GISTs changes by site (Janusz, 159). It is not vivid if this occurrence bases on the detection of growths in the gastro intestinal parts.
GIST Diagnosis
There exist distinct features to the problem usually; KIT-positive growths that do not appear in the GISTs can replicate a GIST. It is common for ideas concerning KIT-negativity plus positivity of various tumors to be distinct. Desmoids growths depicted as KIT-positive by antibodies behavior. Research indicate that KIT-positive growths are absent in the gastrointestinal parts. These are mainly the seminoma plus pulmonary tiny cell carcinoma. This tissue is a sign of severe myeloid tumor leukemia. (Janusz 325). Abdominal plus GI growths that are KIT-positive consists metastatic melanoma, angiosarcoma (50%) and several carcisarcoma in the range of (30-50%).
Malignant GISTs
Colon tumors which are bigger than 5cm and exhibit mitotic conditions exceeding 5 mitoses Due to overall inferior prospective of gastric tumors. Only the ones having lengths beyond 10cm appear in the prognostic class (Janusz 325).
Treatment
The first line of treatment for GIST is always surgery. With all surgeries, the proficiency of the surgeon is an important factor in the success of treatment. The cancer centre surgeons are experts in treating GISTs. However, it is important to note that Radiation and chemotherapy are not use in treatment of GIST (Janusz 459). Experimental therapies may be used in advanced stages.
Work Cited
Merck Manual, Home Health Handbook, New Jersey: Merck Research Laboratories, 2009
Janusz, Richard, David & Yuman, Gastrointestinal oncology: a critical multidisciplinary team
Approach, Massachusetts: John W. & Sons, 2008
