Follow-up strategies for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour treated with or without adjuvant imatinib after surgery.

BACKGROUND

Patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) are often followed up after surgery with longitudinally repeated imaging examinations to detect recurrence early. Studies on follow-up of GIST patients are few, the optimal follow-up methods are unknown and the recommendations for follow-up vary in guidelines.

METHODS

We reviewed the current evidence for follow-up of patients treated with surgery alone and of patients who were treated with adjuvant or neoadjuvant imatinib.

RESULTS

Imaging of the abdomen and the pelvis with computerised tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) usually suffices, since metastases are uncommon at other sites. The frequency of imaging may be adjusted with the risk of recurrence with time. Very low risk GISTs are very frequently cured with surgery and usually require no regular follow-up after complete surgery, and annual CT of the abdomen and the pelvis for 5 years suffices for most patients with a low to intermediate risk for recurrence. Most high-risk patients are treated with imatinib for at least 3 years after surgery. CT or MRI may be carried out 6-monthly during adjuvant imatinib, 3 to 4-monthly during the 2 years that follow discontinuation of imatinib when the risk of recurrence is high, and then at 6-12 month intervals to complete 10 years of follow-up. Recurrence after the first 10 years of follow-up is infrequent.

CONCLUSIONS

The follow-up schedules are best tailored with the risk of recurrence. The risk of recurrence should be estimated with the prognostic tools that consider the most relevant prognostic factors.