KIT and gastrointestinal stromal tumor: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and are characterized by the expression of the KIT receptor (stem cell factor receptor, CD117) and to a lesser extent of PDGFRA (platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha), representing two closely related receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) [1,2].