Signs and Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Most gastrointestinal stromal tumors
(GISTs) occur in the stomach or small intestine. These tumors often grow into
the empty space inside the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, so they might not cause
symptoms right away unless they are in a certain location or reach a certain
size.
Small tumors might not cause any symptoms and may be found
accidentally when the doctor is looking for some other problem. These small
tumors often grow slowly.
Symptoms related to blood loss
GISTs tend to be fragile tumors that can bleed easily. In fact,
they are often found because they cause bleeding into the GI tract. Signs and
symptoms of this bleeding depend on how fast it occurs and where the tumor is
located.
- Brisk bleeding into the esophagus or stomach can cause
the person to throw up blood. When the blood is thrown up
it may be partially digested, so it might look like coffee grounds.
- Brisk bleeding into the stomach or small intestine can
make bowel movements (stools) black
and tarry.
- Brisk bleeding into the large intestine is likely
to turn the stool red with visible blood.
- If the bleeding is slow, it often doesn’t cause the
person to throw up blood or have a change in their stool. Over time,
though, slow bleeding can lead to a low red blood cell count (anemia), and
make a person feel tired and weak.
Bleeding from the GI tract can be very serious. If you have any
of these signs or symptoms, see a doctor right away.
Other possible symptoms of GISTs
Other symptoms of GISTs can include:
- Abdominal (belly) pain
- A mass or swelling in the abdomen
- Nausea, vomiting
- Feeling full after eating only a small amount of food
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Problems swallowing (for tumors in the esophagus)
Sometimes the tumor grows large enough to block the passage of
food through the stomach or intestine. This is called an obstruction,
and it can cause severe abdominal pain and vomiting.
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