Uncommon Tumors of the Gastrointestinal Tract in Children

Tumors of the gastrointestinal tract are extremely rare in children and adolescents. Nevertheless, an understanding of their diagnosis, staging, and treatment is necessary for those involved in the treatment of childhood neoplasms. Carcinoid tumor and colorectal carcinoma are the most common neoplasms, involving chiefly the colon and appendix. Other rare tumors involve the pancreas, with pancreatoblastoma being unique to children. More recently, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which may occur at any site along the gastrointestinal tract, has come under greater scrutiny because of its expression of c-KIT and susceptibility to imatinib mesylate.