Multivisceral resections for gastrointestinal stromal tumors: are the risks justifiable?

Surgical resection is the cornerstone of treatment for non-metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Multivisceral resection (MVR) for locally advanced tumors is often required to achieve negative margins. The purpose of this study was to review the peri-operative and long-term oncologic outcomes for patients who required MVR versus single-organ resection (SOR) for GISTs.

All patients who underwent treatment for GISTs at a tertiary cancer center between 2001 and 2011 were identified. Patient characteristics and clinical outcomes were compared using the chi-squared/Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test. Disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method.

33 patients underwent MVR and 77 underwent SOR. Tumors in the MVR group were larger and had a higher mitotic index. MVR patients had longer operative times, greater operative blood loss and more peri-operative complications. There was no significant difference in the final margin status between the two groups (R0 resection: SOR 92.2%, MVR 81.8%, p = 0.1303). 5-year DFS was significantly lower in the MVR cohort (44.4% vs. 78.9%, p = 0.0090), but there was no difference in 5-year OS (80.2% vs. 90.5%, p = 0.2547).

MVR patients had more aggressive tumors and more complications; however, there was no difference in 5-year OS between the MVR and SOR cohorts. These findings support the use of MVR in the appropriately selected patient. Further studies are necessary to fully define its clinical application.