Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: A Clinicopathological Study and Management

Background and aim Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) account for a major portion of gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors. The purpose of the current study is to examine the clinicopathological features, management, and therapeutic outcomes of primary GIST in a tertiary care hospital.  Materials and methods This is a prospective observational analysis. Seventeen patients with GIST have been detected and treated in the Department of Surgery of a tertiary care hospital with an attached medical institution over the last seven years. The clinical presentation, diagnosis method, tumor locations, histopathological results, surgical treatment, and postoperative results were analyzed.  Results There were six females and 11 males with ages ranging between 35 to 72 years. All the patients had symptoms, with abdominal pain the most prevalent. The most frequent primary site for GIST was the stomach (60-70%), followed by the small intestine (25-30%), the rectum, the esophagus, and the colon (2%). Preoperative diagnosis was made through endoscopy and a contrast-enhanced CT scan. Ninety-two percent of the cases tested positive for CD117. Surgery has been conducted for all 17 patients, with the liver being the most common site of metastasis. Imatinib and sunitinib increased the survival as well as postoperative recurrence rate while decreasing metastasis.  Conclusions The most general symptom of GIST was abdominal pain. In most instances, it was treated with surgery as well as adjuvant imatinib and sunitinib, and had a favorable prognosis. With increasing size and mitotic activity, the five-year survival rate falls, and the prognosis worsens.