Is Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Curable?

Sunitinib Capsule

Cancer is an extremely dangerous disease that is caused due to development of abnormal cells which continue to multiply inside the body and destroy the normal body tissues. It can spread to other parts of the body through blood or lymph. There are many types of cancer. One of such is the Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor. According to the data presented by WHO, many cancer deaths are caused by not getting enough physical activity, low consumption of fruits and vegetables, tobacco, and alcohol.

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor is a type of cancer, and it is the most common primary mesenchymal tumor of the digestive system of the gastrointestinal tract. These tumors mostly occur in older adults, with a median age of about 60-65 years, and are equal in men and women.

This tumor is rare but can be managed well if treated with an experienced and good team of doctors. Before getting cured, the patient should know their treatment plan. The treatment options and healthcare depend on numerous factors such as type, stage of the tumor, side effects possible, medical history of a patient, and patient’s current health. The best treatment is chosen also looking at the features of the tumor present like genetic function, size, the number of cells divided, location, and whether it has spread or not.

The different types of treatments for such tumors are mentioned below:

• Surgery

It is the removal of the tumor, and some healthy tissues present around it during the operation. A doctor specializing in treating cancers and tumors through surgeries is known as Surgical Oncologist. Surgery is performed only if some limited amount of tumor is present inside the body and its location is traceable. For localized tumors, surgery should be performed at the earliest to prevent further damage. It is difficult to cure if the tumor is present in various locations.

• Therapies Using Medication

The medicated treatments kill the tumor cells present inside the human body. These medications may be given through mouth, as a pill or a capsule, or through the bloodstream, by an intravenous tube placed through a vein. Medical oncologists are the specialized doctor for such kinds of treatments, and the advisory of such doctors gives the medicines. The medications used for curing through the treatment are continually evaluated, and a check is always on there on the medicine and the patient. The patient should always talk with their doctor to know their medication plans and scenarios before getting an overview of the treatment.

• Targeted Therapy

Such therapy treatment targets some particular genes, cells, tissues, or their environment to block the growth and spread of cancer cells and limit the damage to some extent to the other healthy cells of the body.

• Chemotherapy

It involves using drugs to kill cancer cells and prevent them from growing and dividing among healthy cells. But standard chemotherapy is not suitable for Gastrointestinal Stromal tumors, and this technique should be avoided.

• Radiation Therapy 

This therapy uses high x-ray energy to destroy cancer cells. The specialized doctor in this field is called a radiation oncologist. The radiation given from a machine outside the body is called external beam radiation therapy. When the radiation is given using implants, it is internal radiation therapy or brachytherapy.

Most important medicine- Sunitinib capsule

Sunitinib capsule is a drug used to cure gastrointestinal stromal tumors, with proper medical advisories about the medicine from the doctor. Sunitinib capsule is a kind of targeted therapy where medicine is given to kill cancer cells through pills/capsules. According to one’s lifestyle, this medicine can be taken with or without food as advised by the doctor. Sunitinib capsule helps in the stages when cancer comes up again and again. It stops the growth of wrong cells and stops the growth within the blood vessels. Sunitinib capsule (Sunitinib Malate) can be proved effective against this tumor.

Conclusion

There are so many treatments to cure Gastrointestinal Stromal tumors, like how Sunitinib 50mg capsule uses its capabilities to fight against the illness. Still, in some critical conditions, even these treatments do not work. Such a scenario is terminal, and one may never recover from the disease. One might have to give their health priority from the beginning of their lives so that they do not face any such deadly or incurable diseases when they grow up. No one wants to live their life on hospital support. Everyone should be made aware and live a healthy lifestyle.