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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Robotic Duodenal Sleeve Resection for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor with Rare Exon 8 KIT Mutation Following Neoadjuvant Imatinib
Published on: April 3, 2026
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor. A study of 158 cases: clinicopathological features and prognostic factors
Italo Bearzi1, Alessandra Mandolesi, Federica Arduini
1Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Polytechnic University of the Marche Region, Ancona, Italy. i.bearzi@univpm.it
Objective:
To increase knowledge on the behavior of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and factors influencing therapy.
Study Design:
The clinicomorphological features of 158 GISTs were analyzed. Survival analysis was performed on the whole series, as well as on a selected group of patients with high risk GIST who did not receive imatinib mesylate. The impact of imatinib mesylate on the prognosis was investigated.
Results:
Most of the GISTs had a benign behavior. The risk class was a powerful prognostic factor but was unable to predict the outcome in a single case; even patients in the high risk class not receiving imatinib mesylate had a low mortality rate. In this group, it was the mitotic activity that better correlated with prognosis, and a cut point of 10 mitoses per 50 high-power field can be fixed to discriminate cases with favorable or unfavorable outcome. Patients with GISTs presenting as aggressive disease received great benefit from imatinib mesylate therapy.
Conclusion:
Mitotic activity is important in predicting the outcome of patients with high risk GIST who present at diagnosis without dissemination. This finding can have therapeutic implications.
