METHODS AND COMPOSITIONS FOR DIAGNOSING GASTROINTESTINAL STROMAL TUMORS

摘要

The present invention relates to an in vitro method for diagnosing and/or monitoring in a subject a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or a predisposition to develop a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, comprising detecting and/or analyzing in a test sample derived from the subject one or more mutations at the DNA level in any one or both of the marker genes cKIT (GenBank acc. no. NM_000222.2) and PDGFRA (GenBank acc.no. NM_006206.4), wherein the DNA is circulating DNA, and wherein the presence of any one of the mutations detected in the test sample is indicative of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or a predisposition to develop a gastrointestinal stromal tumor in the subject. The present invention is also directed to a corresponding kit-of-parts for diagnosing and/or monitoring a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or a predisposition to develop a gastrointestinal stromal tumor, comprising means for detecting and/or analyzing one or more mutations as defined herein, as well as to the use of one or more mutations as defined herein as a panel of molecular markers for diagnosing and/or monitoring a gastrointestinal stromal tumor or a predisposition to develop a gastrointestinal stromal tumor.