Adjuvant systemic therapy for small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): Is there a survival benefit after R0

Dhruv J Patel1, Waseem Lutfi2, Emanuel Eguia3

  • 1Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, IL.

Surgery
|July 28, 2020
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Adjuvant therapy improves survival for high-grade, larger small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Low-grade tumors do not benefit from this treatment, regardless of size.

Area of Science:

  • Surgical Oncology
  • Gastrointestinal Oncology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The role of adjuvant systemic therapy in small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors (SB-GIST) is not well-defined.
  • Optimal treatment strategies for SB-GIST require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between adjuvant therapy and overall survival in patients with resected small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
  • To identify patient subgroups who may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Data Base (2010-2015).
  • Inclusion of patients who underwent enterectomy with negative margins for SB-GIST.
  • Categorization by tumor size (2.1-5 cm, 5.1-10 cm, >10 cm) and histologic grade (≤5 or >5 mitoses/50 HPF).
  • Cox proportional hazard analysis to assess the impact of adjuvant therapy on overall survival.

Main Results:

  • 1,559 patients met the inclusion criteria.
  • Adjuvant therapy significantly improved overall survival in high-grade, intermediate, and large-sized tumors (P=.010 and P=.003, respectively).
  • No survival benefit was observed for adjuvant therapy in small high-grade tumors or any low-grade tumors.
  • Multivariable analysis confirmed adjuvant therapy was independently associated with reduced mortality risk for high-grade tumors (HR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.21-0.64).

Conclusions:

  • Adjuvant therapy decisions for small bowel GIST should be individualized based on tumor size and grade.
  • Careful consideration of tumor characteristics is crucial for optimizing adjuvant treatment strategies in SB-GIST.