title: Prognostic factors for survival post surgery for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal neoplasms located in the alimentary tract. Our aim was to assess the influence of prognostic factors on survival in patients surgically treated for GISTs.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and five patients treated between January 1989 and December 2008 were available for study. A retrospective analysis of prognostic factors (age, gender, mitotic index, tumor location, tumor size, risk of malignant behavior, and coexisting other neoplasm) was performed. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were undertaken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate analyses revealed the importance of patient gender (p = 0.007), disease location (p = 0.055), mitotic index (p = 0.054) and coexistence with other neoplasms (p = 0.004). However, multivariate analysis showed 3 independently statistically significant factors: coexistence with other neoplasm (RR = 3.53, p = 0.004), male gender (RR = 2.60, p = 0.011) and mitotic index ≥10/50 HPF, (RR = 2.60, p = 0.042).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study has shown that male gender, a high mitotic index ≥10/50 HPF, and coexistence with other malignant neoplasms were independent poor prognostic factors in patients with GIST. The presence of middle or lower gut disease location leads to an increased risk of mortality when compared with the upper gut.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Tract Surgery, University Hospital of the Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Sławomir
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mrowiec
authors.forename: Beata
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jabłońska
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liszka
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pająk
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leidgens
authors.forename: Ryszard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Szydło
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sandecka
authors.forename: Paweł
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lampe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult