A Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival of Patients with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to construct a nomogram to predict the prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 4086 GIST patients listed in the SEER database from 1998 to 2015. They were separated to 2 groups: an experimental group (n=2862) and a verification group (n=1224). A nomogram was constructed by using statistically significant prognostic factors. RESULTS A nomogram that included age, sex, marital status, tumor location, grade, SEER stage, tumor size, and surgical management was developed. It can be used to predict overall survival (OS), while adding AJCC 7th TNM stage can predict cancer-specific survival (CSS). The C-index used to forecast OS and CSS nomograms was 0.778 (95% CI, 0.76-0.79) and 0.818 (95% CI, 0.80-0.84), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The nomogram can effectively predict 3- and 5-year CSS in patients with GIST, and its use can improve clinical practice.