ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prognostic factors for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From 2000 to 2003, clinical data of 41 cases with GIST were reviewed retrospectively. The clinicopathologic diagnosis was determined by immunochemistry. The relationships of the prognosis with mitotic counts, tumor size and location,range of tumor resection were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The patients with GIST had pathological section of high expression in CD117, CD34 and vimentin (92.7%, 82.9%, 78%, respectively). Patients with tumor location in intestine, tumor size > 5 cm,mitotic counts > 5/50HPF, incomplete resection had poorer outcome, compared with those with tumor location in stomach and colon,tumor size < or = 5 cm,mitotic counts < or = 5/50HPF and complete resection (all P< 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Complete gross resection can improve prognosis for patients with GIST. Tumors with mitotic counts > or = 5/50HPF, tumor size more than 5 cm and tumor location in intestine are poor prognostic factors.</p>