OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of targeted therapy combined with surgery in the treatment of recurrent and metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST).

METHODSClinicopathological and followed-up data of 318 patients with recurrent and metastatic GIST admitted in Zhongshan Hospital between January 2000 and December 2015 were analyzed retrospectively. According to different treatment methods, the patients were divided into four groups: surgery group (operation alone, 44 cases), target therapy group (imatinib alone, 108 cases), target therapy combined with surgery group (imatinib plus operation, 139 cases), other therapy group (chemotherapy, Chinese medicine and others, 27 cases). The progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of four groups were compared.

RESULTSThe baseline informations, such as age, gender, primary site, et al, were not significantly different (all P>0.05), but the recurrent and metastatic site was significantly different among 4 groups (P=0.000). The medial PFS of surgery group, target therapy group, target therapy combined with surgery was 16(95%CI: 4.9 to 27.0) months, 44 (95%CI: 30.9 to 57.1) months, 35 (95%CI: 26.5 to 43.5) months, respectively, and the latter 2 groups had significantly longer PFS than surgery group(P=0.000), while no significant difference was found between target therapy group and target combined with surgery group (P=0.251). The median OS of surgery group, target therapy group, target therapy combined with surgery, and other therapy group was 24 (95%CI: 9.0 to 39.0) months, 69(95%CI: 40.8 to 97.2) months, 92(95%CI: 78.0 to 106.0) months, 12(95%CI: 9.5 to 14.5) months. Target therapy group and target therapy combined with surgery group had significantly longer OS than surgery and other therapy groups (P=0.000), while the target therapy combined with surgery group had significantly longer OS than target therapy group(P=0.028).

CONCLUSIONTarget therapy combined with surgery can prolong the survival of recurrent and metastatic GIST patients.