ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the clinical security and feasibility of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with imatinib following lap-aroscopy-guided intersphincteric resection for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the low rectum (GSTLR). Methods:Clini-cal data of nine patients with GSTLR who were admitted to the Shengjing Hospital between January 2007 and January 2011 were re-viewed. These patients were treated with neoadjuvant imatinib chemotherapy after laparoscopic intersphincteric resection. Results:Pri-or to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the tumor diameter ranged between from 5 cm to 9 cm (median=7.0 cm). After imatinib chemothera-py, the tumor diameter decreased to 2-4.5 cm (median=3.5 cm, P<0.001). Laparoscopic surgery through intersphincteric resection was performed after imatinib treatment for 3-24 months (median=7 months). All patients received a protective stoma, which was closed 3 months after the surgery. The Wexner scale scores ranged from 1 and 4 (median=2) prior to neoadjuvant imatinib chemotherapy and changed to 1-5 (median=2) after the chemotherapy (P=0.397). After stomal closure operation, the scores significantly increased to 4-9 (median=7, P<0.001) but were not statistically significantly different from those before the therapy. One year after laparoscopic surgery, the Wexner scale scores ranged from 1 to 5 (median=2, P=0.842). Six patients were treated with imatinib for 24 and 30 months after lap-aroscopic surgery. Recurrence in pelvis occurred in only one patient, who ceased imatinib administration at the 30th month after the sur-gery. Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery through intersphincteric resection was secure and feasible and thus could be used for treat-ment of GSTLR.