Long-term outcomes of endoscopic resection of gastric GISTs

Although the endoscopic treatment of gastric stromal tumors is a recently accepted therapy, the long-term outcomes of this approach remain unknown. The aims of this study were to assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of endoscopic resection for gastric GISTs.

A total of 60 consecutive patients undergoing endoscopic resection of gastric GISTs were enrolled in a retrospective single-center study. Clinical data, perioperative complications, histopathologic characteristics of the tumors, and long-term outcomes were recorded.

Sixty patients successfully underwent complete resection of lesions, including 25 cases of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and 35 cases of endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR), with an average tumor size of 1.76 ± 1.55 cm (range 0.5–7.6 cm). The average operation time was 43.97 ± 26.95 min (range 11.7–138.9 min). Two cases were observed with an intraoperative hemorrhage of 200 mL, which were successfully managed by hemostatic forceps. Perforations of 2–11 mm of ESD occurred in four cases (4/25) and were well closed with endoclips, with no conversions to surgical operation. Mucosal laceration of esophagus occurred in 1 case, when a large tumor was removed. The average length of hospitalization was 6.50 ± 3.06 days (range 3–21 days). Out of a total of 60 patients, 44 (73.3%) were at very low risk, 10 (16.7%) were at low risk, 5 (8.3%) were at intermediate risk, and 1 (1.7%) was at high risk. All patients were followed-up for 36.15 ± 12.92 months (range 14–73 months). Primary tumor recurrence occurred in 1 patient who underwent a second operation after 32 months, and no other cases were observed to have either tumor recurrence or metastasis.

For long-term outcomes, endoscopic resection of ESD or EFTR is a safe and effective approach for removing gastric stromal tumors (<5 cm), and it can be a resection technique for them with no metastasis.