AUTHOR=Jia Guohua , Li Xiangpan 

TITLE=Survival trends of gastrointestinal stromal tumor in real-world settings: a population-based retrospective study

JOURNAL=Pathology and Oncology Research

VOLUME=Volume 31 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.por-journal.com/journals/pathology-and-oncology-research/articles/10.3389/pore.2025.1611896

DOI=10.3389/pore.2025.1611896

ISSN=1532-2807

ABSTRACT=Purpose: This study aims to evaluate whether survival outcomes for GIST patients have improved over recent decades and to identify the specific patient subgroups that have benefited from advancements in treatment.Patients and Methods: A total of 4,127 GIST patients diagnosed between January, 1980, and December, 2019, were included in this study using data from the SEER database. Survival differences among GIST patients were analyzed across five time periods and within demographic, neoplastic, temporal, economic, and geographic categories using the log-rank test. Multivariable Cox regression models were employed to identify risk factors associated with GIST-specific survival. The associations between time periods and GIST-specific mortality (TSM) were examined using a multivariable Cox regression model.Results: The survival outcomes for GIST patients significantly improved during the 2000–2009 period but showed no substantial improvement in the 2010–2019 period. The multivariable Cox regression models revealed that older age (≥65 years) (HR=1.977, 95% CI=1.470–2.657), tumors located outside the gastrointestinal tract (HR=1.505, 95% CI=1.267–1.786), regional lesions (HR=2.225, 95% CI=1.828–2.708), and distant lesions (HR=5.177, 95% CI=4.417–6.069) were independent risk factors for TSM (p<0.05). After adjusting for time periods and age, gender, tumor site, tumor stage, median household income, patients in the 2000–2004, 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2019 had significantly lower TSM risks than patients in 1980-1999 (all p < 0.05). Similarly, patients in 2005–2009 (HR = 0.661, 95% CI = 0.555–0.788), 2010–2014 (HR = 0.696, 95% CI = 0.578–0.838), and 2015–2019 (HR = 0.607, 95% CI = 0.476–0.773) also showed significantly lower TSM risks than patients in 2000–2004 (p < 0.05). However, patients in 2010–2014 (HR = 1.042, 95% CI = 0.863–1.258) and 2015–2019 (HR = 0.945, 95% CI = 0.734–1.216) did not exhibit significantly lower TSM risks compared to those in 2005–2009 (p > 0.05).Conclusion: GISTs survival has significantly improved during period in 2000–2009 but showed no substantial improvement in the 2010–2019, the turning point for lower TSM was from 2005. innovative strategies are needed to enhance further survival outcomes for GIST patients, particularly for older patients and those with tumors originating outside the gastrointestinal tract.