Clinical Experience with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: A Retrospective Analysis

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesen-chymal tumors of the digestive system, with diverse histopathological and clinical features. This study aimed to analyze the clinical and pathological characteristics as well as surgical outcomes of GIST patients treated at our institution. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 49 patients who underwent surgery for GIST at Dicle Univer-sity between 2010 and 2020. The collected data included demographic information to-gether with tumor location and size measurements and mitotic rate counts and Fletcher risk classification and immunohistochemical marker results and surgical treatment details. Results: Among patients, 57.1% were male, with a mean age of 58.8 ± 12.3 years. Tumors were primarily located in the small intestine (36%) and stomach (34%). Tumor sizes were 10 in 22.4%. Risk classification showed 52% low risk, 26% intermediate risk, and 22% high risk. All tumors were positive for CD34 and CD117. Ki-67 index was below 5% in 71.4% of cases. Postoperative mortality was 4%, and tumor recurrence occurred in 4.1%. Conclusions: Effective surgical treatment combined with precise risk assessment is vital for managing GISTs. The study results confirm that adjuvant imatinib treatment reduces recurrence rates in patients with high-risk disease.