OBJECTIVETo investigate the efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) in different anatomical locations.

METHODSClinical data of 133 patients with primary gastric GIST undergoing laparoscopic resection at our department from January 2006 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into favorable site group (F group, 90 cases), including gastric fundus, anterior wall and greater curvature of gastric body, and unfavorable site group (UF group, 43 cases),including gastroesophageal junction, posterior wall and lesser curvature of gastric body,antrum and pylorus, according to the 2014 version National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Guidelines. Short-term and long-term efficacy between the two groups was compared.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences between the two groups in the general clinicopathological parameters (all P>0.05). The operation time of F group and UF group was (107.3±52.3) min and (119±53.4) min respectively (P=0.21). The blood loss in F group and UF group was (35.2±34.2) ml and (35.2±31.2) ml respectively (P=1.00). In addition, there were no significant differences in time to first fluid diet, time to first flatus, postoperative hospital stay and hospitalization expenses between the two groups(all P>0.05). In F group and UF group, morbidity of postoperative complication was 6.7%(6/90) and 4.7%(2/43) respectively (P=0.72), morbidity of category I(-II( complication was 4.4%(4/90) and 2.3%(1/43) respectively (P=0.66),and morbidity of category III(-IIII( complication was 2.2%(2/90) and 2.3% (1/43) respectively (P=1.00). Median follow-up time of all the cases was 36(1 to 84) months. The 5-year overall survival rates of F group and UF group were 93.8% and 95.2% respectively, and 5-year relapse-free survival rates were 81.1% and 89.4% respectively, without significant differences(both P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic operation for gastric GIST in unfavorable sites can yield similar short- and long-term outcomes compared with those in favorable sites.