Retrospective evaluation of demographic and clinical features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. It has a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic, incidental tumors to aggressive tumors. It is most commonly seen in the stomach and small intestine. Total resection is still the most successful treatment modality. Imatinib is preferred for medical treatment. The aim of this study is to investigate the demographic, clinical, pathological features of the patients, prognostic risk factors, clinical course of treatment, survival time and compare this with current literature. Fifty-four patients diagnosed with GIST between 2002-2017 in Uludağ University Medical Faculty Hospital were included in the study. The patients' demographic, clinical, pathological characteristics, treatments, clinical course and survival were obtained retrospectively from the hospital information system. The most common location of GIST was small intestine, the second most common location was stomach, and the most common complaint was abdominal pain. The mean age was 56.15 years and it was more common in males. The most common site of metastasis was liver. The most common immunohistochemical staining marker was CD117. Most patients had high-risk disease. The survival time was longer in patients undergoing curative surgery. High mitotic index and lymph node metastasis were found to be risky on progression. No correlation was found between tumor diameter, location, stage and progression. Surgery is the only curative treatment in patients and increases survival. Mitotic index and lymph node metastasis must be taken into consideration in risk assessment for progression in patients. Key Words: gastrointestinal stromal tumor, imatinib, sunitinib, survival.