GIST is the forerunners of the solid tumor in field of molecular biology research   ZHAN Wen-hua. The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Abstract    A great amount of genetic information for sarcomas has been accumulated during the past two decades by which the progress of diagnoses and treatments was underpinned. GIST has become well known recently because of the effectiveness of anti-KIT tyrosine kinase inhibitors. From a disease that 10 years ago was named as leiomyoma or and was only treatable with surgery, now many trials have identified active first-line systemic therapy, an active second-line agent, and established the role of adjuvant therapy after surgery for patients with intermediate- and high-risk tumors. Those are accomplishments that need take decades to achieve for other more common diseases such as breast cancer or lung cancer. The progress in GIST has come directly from the breakthrough that have been made in its cell origin, etiology and pathogenesis. By studying model diseases such as GIST, it should be able to develop paradigms to treat more common cancers as well. For the reason, GIST is the forerunners of the solid tumor in field of molecular biology research.