OBJECTIVETo investigate the outcome of surgical treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST) and the associated factors.

METHODSA total of 277 patients with GIST underwent primary surgical treatment from January 1990 to February 2010 at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University. The clinical data were retrospectively reviewed and the pathological examination was reviewed. Follow-up was performed.

RESULTSThere were 176 males and 101 females. The age ranged from 20 to 81 years old (median,57). Location of the tumor included colorectum (n=28),small bowel(n=76), stomach(n=173). All the patients had en bloc resection, including local excision in 98 patients, organ resection in 64, and extended resection in 115. The 5-year survival rates were 83.5%, 71.9%, and 61.9% in the three different procedures, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05). Cox model showed that the tumor size, recurrence and metastasis were independent risk factors associated with the prognosis in GIST patients(P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSurgery remains the major approach for gastrointestinal GIST. Complete resection is the principal treatment. Extensive resection or extended lymph nodes dissection is not associated with improved survival.