Description
Expression of TMEM16A (DOG1) protein is elevated in the gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST's), c-kit signaling-driven mesenchymal tumors of the GI tract. It is rarely expressed in other soft tissue tumors, which, due to appearance, may be difficult to diagnose. Immunoreactivity for TMEM16A has been reported in 97.8 percent of scorable GIST's, including all c-kit negative GIST's. Overexpression has been suggested to aid in the identification of GISTs, including Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Alpha (PDGFR alpha) mutants that fail to express c-kit antigen. The overall sensitivity of TMEM16A and c-kit in GIST's is nearly identical: 94.4% vs. 94.7%