title: Management of gastrointestinal stromal tumours: a single-centre experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), although rare, are increasingly recognized, characterized immuno-phenotypically in most cases by a mutation in C-Kit. The advent of imatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has presented a novel and effective therapy in advanced disease. The aim of this study was to present the experience and outcomes of a single centre.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of prospective GIST database at St James Hospital from 1997 to 2005. Survival data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 32 patients (19 males/13 females) with a median age of 61 years (10-84) were treated. The stomach (n = 20) was the dominant site. Surgery was the first line of treatment for all these tumours, and in seven cases this was performed laparoscopically. C-Kit was positive in 81% of cases. The median survival was 78 months with a 5-year survival of 71%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GISTs are rare and surgical resection, increasingly with minimally invasive approaches, is associated with high cure rates, particularly in gastric tumours.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Surgery, St James Hospital and Trinity College, Dublin 8, Ireland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Butt
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Reynolds
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases