GIST is a rare condition, but you are not alone!

Who we are

This site is primarily for GIST patients and their carers. Most of the content is provided by patients, not by doctors or nurses. Please email us with your comments, corrections and additions.

Gist Support UK is there to be with you as you come to terms with living with GIST. We are a network of patients and their carers, all of whom are affected by GIST. We share experience and offer each other mutual support by telephone and by email. Currently we also hold two meetings a year, where members have the opportunity to meet together, and also to meet professionals working in the field. You will find reports of the most recent meetings on this website.

We have information about GIST and treatment options, chances and risks, and new clinical trials and we offer you the opportunity to share with other patients. All this can help you to find your bearings and to make more informed choices about your treatment. Being an informed patient will lessen the feeling of being at the mercy of this illness and will help you to be more in control of your life again.

If you have GIST, and if you can accept and come to terms with the illness, you can continue to lead a ‘normal’ life. Every day, research into GIST is giving us new knowledge, and new treatment options are being explored and trialed.

What we do

We run meetings where GIST patients and their carers can support each other, share experiences, and hear about the latest developments in the treatment of GIST from leading professionals.

We try to keep abreast of developments in the treatment of GIST by maintaining contact with:

  • pharmaceutical companies
  • specialist doctors and research groups
  • and patient support groups all over the World.

We have a Mailtalk system where members can email the group to ask questions, exchange information and generally discuss their problems.

How you can help us

We want as many GIST patients as possible to know about us. If you are being treated in a local district hospital, why not ask them to put up a poster? Click here to download an A4-size poster that you can print out

The work of GIST Support UK is supported by donations from its members together with unrestricted educational grants from Novartis and Pfizer

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