There is a type of gastrointestinal tumor that is not stomach or intestinal cancer, but can be just as deadly. This is called gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor, which is poorly understood even by some doctors. However, it used to be considered a rare disease, but it is increasingly occurring around us. Experts believe that gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are difficult to detect, and the larger the head, the greater the risk. Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are not cancerous but are equally deadly: Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors used to be considered a rare disease, but with the continuous improvement of medical treatment, their incidence is increasing and they have become the most common single type of sarcoma in western countries. Incidence statistics are not yet available in China, but “since 2006, the number of cases seen at our center has been increasing at a rate of 10% per year, and nearly 90 surgeries were performed last year.” Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor is different from stomach or intestinal cancer. “It doesn’t come from the epithelium like gastric or intestinal cancer, and is much deeper and harder to detect.” According to him, gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are more common in the stomach primary, followed by the small intestine, colorectum, esophagus, mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum. “One cannot say that gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor is malignant, but as it increases in size, it is eventually malignant, so early detection and intervention is necessary for treatment.” Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are mostly asymptomatic in the early stages when the tumor is small. “It has no characteristic symptoms and can’t be detected by blood sampling. Some people go their whole lives without detecting it, and some are found to be advanced or have metastasized, missing the best time for treatment.” First surgery is the most critical, and high-risk can be combined with targeted drugs: “Gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors are usually differentiated by size in terms of risk, with <2cm being ultra-low risk, 2-5cm being low risk, 5-10cm being intermediate risk, and >10cm being high risk.” He Yulong pointed out that the first consideration in treating gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors is surgical excision, which should be complete and not leave a single cell, otherwise it will grow again! Therefore, the first surgery is the most critical. Targeted drugs are available for those that cannot be excised, those with high risk of rupture or intermediate to high-risk post-operative adjuvant anti-relapse therapy, those that are older and combined with other underlying diseases, and those with advanced recurrent metastases. Reduce the rate of misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis, gastroenteroscopy do it! As the tumor increases in size, gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumor will show symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fullness, black stool and anemia, but these symptoms can also be seen in other gastrointestinal diseases, which are easily overlooked and missed. Zhang Xinhua said that whenever the above symptoms appear, gastroscopy and colonoscopy should be checked immediately, and those who have suspicion, without any resection and treatment, should go to a specialist in a large experienced hospital for treatment.