Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: diagnostics, therapy and beyond?

Amongst the different solid tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) can be considered as orphan tumors, as overall, they are rather rare. Up-to now, they do not find mention within epidemiological tumor statistics of the Western population. However, with the combined use of clinical and laboratory diagnostic tools these mesenchymal tumors are not only discovered more often, but also have been recognized as model tumors for the therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. This review tries to give an overview of the clinical presentation and of the diagnostics employed for identifying these tumors. It also summarizes the recent advances in treatment especially in intermediate and high risk cases.