Is it Irritable Bowel Syndrome or a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor?

Have you been diagnosed with Irritable bowel Syndrome? Are you still experiencing your symptoms even with treatment? It may not be Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but a tumor in the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal Stromal tumors are tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. They are the most common mesenchymal tumors. The gastrointestinal tract consists of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine and the colon.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors begin in special cells that are called interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC's). They are found in the intestinal tract and are part of the autonomic nervous system, which sends signals to the intestinal tract. Not all of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors are cancerous. They stay in one place when they first develop and are referred to as localized tumors. Advanced Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors can spread to other parts of the body and are then referred to as metastatic tumors. The size of the tumors can range from a few millimeters to over thirty centimeters.

The symptoms of a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor may mimic those of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but the symptoms do not respond to the IBS treatment. There is also a possibility of there being no symptoms at all. Symptoms include vague abdominal pain, early feeling of fullness, vomiting, abdominal bleeding (blood in stool or vomit), fatigue due to anemia, anorexia, nausea, weight loss, fever, bloating, flatulence and constipation. The bleeding occurs because of an ulcer that forms in the gastric mucosa that is above the tumor. A palpable abdominal mass in the abdomen may be found during an examination if the patient has an exogastric tumor. The symptoms usually depend on the size and location of the tumor.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors are hard to diagnose and treat because the tumor is often hidden in the abdomen and it may not cause any physical symptoms. They often become very large before they are diagnosed and there becomes a risk of them spreading to other organs such as the liver. The tumors are resistant to chemoradiation so surgical removal of the tumor is the only effective treatment.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors where considered to be a rare occurrence at one time, but now there are 4,500 to 6,000 new cases each year in the United States. The tumors most often occur between the ages of 40 and 80, but they can occur at any age. Fifty percent of the tumors occur in the stomach, twenty-five percent occur in the small intestine, ten percent in the colon and fifteen percent occur in other parts of the gastrointestinal tract.

There are no known risk factors for developing a Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor, but there may be a slight risk if there is a family history of the tumor. With no known risk factors, there is no way to prevent the tumor from occurring.