Researchers of an analysis of stage 4 gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) showed these rare tumors often result in hepatic metastases and have an overall survival rate of 51% at 5 years. The study, involving 1,578 patients (13.3% of all GIST cases), found that the majority of these tumors start in the stomach (55.4%) or small intestine (40%) and are more prevalent in men. Most patients were in their 60s and received systemic therapy (78.6%), either alone or in combination with surgery. Over half of the patients experienced distant organ metastases, primarily in the liver.
The study underscored the importance of primary treatment in determining overall survival in stage 4 GIST patients. Those treated only with systemic therapy or not treated at all had shorter overall survival compared with patients receiving both surgery and systemic therapy. The analysis showed no significant survival difference among various combinations of neoadjuvant, adjuvant, or both therapies in surgical resection. Furthermore, patients treated at nonacademic centers had a lower overall survival rate than those at academic centers. Other factors affecting survival included patient age, gender, cancer grade, comorbidities, and tumor size.
Reference: Dobkowski D. Invasive GIST Is More Common in Men and Originates in Small Intestine and Stomach. Oncology Nursing News. Published January 15, 2021. Accessed February 5, 2024. https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/invasive-gist-is-more-common-in-men-and-originates-in-small-intestine-and-stomach
