title: [Gastrointestinal stromal tumors - a retrospective study of 43 cases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare (10 to 20/million). They exist in the whole digestive system and its surroundings, and are most common in the stomach (70%), followed by the small intestine (20-25%), colon and rectum (5%), and esophagus ( < 5%). Their clinical presentation varies from small, incidentally found nodules to large and aggressive tumors. Nowadays GISTs are classified according to Fletcher s classification.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  to review the features of our GIST population.
  
  
  METHODS
  a retrospective study of GIST patients identified by immunohistochemical criteria, from 1997 to December 2007, and classified according to Fletcher s criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  43 patients were included (24 men, 19 women) with a mean age of 62.7 years. Gastric GISTs (20 cases, 46.5%), small intestine GISTs (18 cases, 41.9%); in 5 cases metastases of occult tumors were found. Eighteen cases had no symptoms. Tumors were classified according to Fletcher s criteria as high-risk (n = 19), intermediate-risk (n = 7), low-risk (n = 12), and indeterminate-risk (n = 5). Death occurred in 10 patients, and 13 patients had metastatic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  our results are in accordance with the world literature, in which a majority of cases are men with gastric tumors. The 5-year survival rate was 42%. Fletcher s criteria were easily applicable criteria and could predict tumor behavior.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Fernando Fonseca. Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Folgado Alberto
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cuesta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Figueiredo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos de Deus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult