Gastric tumours

Gastric tumours are subdivided into those of epithelial or stromal origin. Malignant tumours are far more common than benign, with adenocarcinomas being the most common type of malignancy. Rarer gastric malignancies include gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST), lymphomas and neuroendocrine tumours. Gastric cancer is the sixth most common cancer in Europe and the fourth most common cause of cancer death. Multi-disciplinary treatment planning is an essential part of management of these cancers. The only curative treatment option is surgical resection although this is usually accompanied by perioperative chemotherapy or adjuvant chemoradiotherapy. GISTs are most commonly due to a mutation in the KIT gene. They are the most common mesenchymal malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract and are most commonly found in the stomach. Intestinal lymphomas are also most commonly found in the stomach and the majority arise from the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue.