A Retrospective Study of Postoperative Outcomes in 98 Patients Diagnosed with Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Gastrointestinal Tract Between 2009 and 2019 at a Single Center in Poland

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) arise in the smooth muscle pacemaker interstitial cells of Cajal, or similar cells. The aim of this retrospective study between 2009 and 2019 from a single center in Poland was to assess the selected prognostic factors (location, tumor size, mitotic index, body mass index (BMI), length of hospital stay, age, sex, and coexistent neoplasm) and to investigate postoperative outcomes in 98 patients with GIST of the upper, middle, and lower gastrointestinal tract. MATERIAL/METHODS: Between 2009 and 2019, 98 patients (50 women and 48 men) with an average age of 63.8 years (range from 38 to 90 years) were operated on for GIST in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery in Katowice, Poland. Based on the intraoperative and postoperative investigations, the tumor size and mitotic index were determined in each case. RESULTS: A statistically significant correlation between age and mitotic index (MI) was found (p=0.02). The higher the MI, the younger the age of the patients. However, regardless of sex, younger patients had a tendency to survive longer. A >60-year-old male patient’s probability of survival was around 65% after 40 months. Higher mitotic index was also associated with larger tumor size (p<0.0001). Female patients had a tendency to survive longer than males. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this small retrospective study support the importance of preoperative evaluation and frequent postoperative follow-up for patients with GIST of the gastrointestinal tract, particularly in older male patients, and patients with malignant comorbidities, which are associated with increased mortality.