What is metastatic GIST?
GIST cancers begin as localized (single) tumors growing somewhere along the GI tract. Like most cancers, GISTs can shed cancer cells which spread the disease to other sites. This process is called metastasis and the new lesions are called metastases. (The original lesion is called the “primary”.) GISTs usrally metastasize to nearby sites in the body, such as the peritoneal cavity and liver. GIST metastases growing at these other sites are still GISTs-a liver metastasis, for example, is still a GIST, not a “liver cancer”. GIST metastases, like GIST primaries, are sensitive to drugs like Gleevec.
