Stomach: GIST: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Stomach: GIST

Sample item

A 60-year-old has anaemia and a 6 cm submucosal gastric mass with central ulceration. Histology shows spindle cells positive for CD117 (KIT) and DOG1. What drug is used for advanced or high-risk disease?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Imatinib

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours arise from interstitial cells of Cajal and are driven by KIT or PDGFRA mutations. Surgical resection without lymphadenectomy is the primary treatment, and imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used for metastatic or high-risk tumours. Conventional chemotherapy is largely ineffective.

Option by option

  • A. Tamoxifen

    Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen used in breast cancer.

  • B. Cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil alone

    Classic cytotoxic regimens have poor activity in GIST.

  • C. Imatinib (correct)

    Correct. Imatinib inhibits KIT and improves survival in GIST.

  • D. Methotrexate

    Methotrexate is not an effective agent against GIST.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Imatinib. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours arise from interstitial cells of Cajal and are driven by KIT or PDGFRA mutations.

Why is "Tamoxifen" not the answer?

Tamoxifen is an anti-oestrogen used in breast cancer.

Why is "Cisplatin plus 5-fluorouracil alone" not the answer?

Classic cytotoxic regimens have poor activity in GIST.

Why is "Methotrexate" not the answer?

Methotrexate is not an effective agent against GIST.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Stomach: GIST in General Surgery. Surgical resection without lymphadenectomy is the primary treatment, and imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used for metastatic or high-risk tumours. Conventional chemotherapy is largely ineffective.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Stomach: GIST?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.