Johns Hopkins Center for Stomach Cancer Care

Fabian Johnston, chief of gastrointestinal surgical oncology at Johns Hopkins, explains the value of this team approach regarding gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which can occur anywhere along the gastrointestinal tract but are most common in the stomach or small intestine. “Although stromal tumors are typically benign, they can act differently in younger patients,” says Johnston. “So after we remove those tumors, our pathologists will do a molecular profile on them. And if the profile tells us the person is at increased risk of recurrence, we set up for an alternative plan to follow the patient with the oncologists.” These collaborations help inform a comprehensive regimen of care.