OBJECTIVETo investigate treatment and prognostic factors of gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST) in the small intestine.

METHODSThe clinicopathological data of 64 patients with GIST in the small intestine admitted to the Tianjin Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital between April 2002 and November 2010 were analyzed retrospectively and the prognostic factors were evaluated.

RESULTSNo patients in this cohort received chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Fourteen patients underwent post-operative imatinib targeted therapy. The overall 5-year survival rate was 51.2% and the post-operative recurrence rate of 61 cases undergoing R0 resection was 44.3%. Univariate analysis revealed that the complete tumor resection(P=0.001), tumor size(P=0.018), adhesion or invasion to surrounding tissue and organs (P=0.015), concurrent distant metastasis(P=0.000), tumor hemorrhage (P=0.032), Fletcher classification (P=0.027) and symptom(P=0.012) were associated with prognosis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that adhesion or invasion to surrounding tissue and organs(P=0.026), concurrent distant metastasis(P=0.000) and symptom(P=0.019) were independent prognostic factors for survival.

CONCLUSIONThe survival evaluation of patients with small intestinal GIST depends on surgery, tumor size, adhesion or invasion to surrounding tissue and organs, concurrent distant metastasis, tumor hemorrhage, symptom, Fletcher classification, and use of targeted therapy.