title: Outcome after surgical treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives were to determine among gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors treated surgically in our unit which were gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) and to describe their characteristic features and prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A second histological and immunohistochemical reading was performed for 56 gastrointestinal mesenchymal tumors, treated surgically in the Reims University Hospital between 1990 and 2005 in order to determine which ones were GISTs. A statistical descriptive and analytical analysis of the demographic, pathological, therapeutic and prognostic factors was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-seven percent of the tumors were GISTs. The 5-year specific survival rate was 66.8%. The factors of good prognosis were small tumor size, low mitotic count, complete primary tumor resection without tumor effraction, age less than 60 years, absence of mucosal necrosis, ulceration, and invasion. Type of surgical resection had no impact in terms of survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  GISTs are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the digestive tract. Even thought treatment with imatinib is currently available, surgery (preferably total resection without effraction) is the mainstay treatment for GISTs.
authors.affiliation: Service de Chirurgie Viscérale, Digestive et Endocrinienne, CHU de Reims, avenue du Général Koenig, 51092 Reims Cedex. AGWEBER@chu-reims.fr
authors.forename: Anne-Géraldine
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jovenin
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lubrano
authors.forename: Jérome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Journu
authors.forename: Nallah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yaziji
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bouche
authors.forename: Marie-Danièle
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Diebold
authors.forename: Jean-François
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Delattre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome