Objectives: To report our experience with gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs).
Methods: Retrospective data were collected from January 1987 to December 2003. Clinical and histological data were analysed to identify recurrence patterns and factors predicting survival. The tumours were studied with respect to size, number of mitosis and cell type.
Results: One hundred and eighty-five patients were identified with GIST with the age range of 18-93 years (mean 64.4 years) with a mean follow up of 6.7 years. Eighty out of 185 patients were in the low group, 38/185 in intermediate risk and 67/185 were in the high risk group. Eighty-three percent of the patients underwent surgical resection. Ten percent of the patients in the intermediate group and 25% of the patients in high risk group developed recurrence. Mortality was 5% and 37% in intermediate and high risk groups, respectively. There was no tumour related mortality or recurrence in the low risk group.
Conclusions: It is important to identify the patients in low and high risk groups. Patients in intermediate and high risk groups require complete resection (R0) and follow up with CT scans.