Conclusions
In summary, radical surgery is the treatment of choice for operable GISTs. Very low- and low-risk diseases can be treated with surgery alone. Lymph node metastasis is rare in GIST patients and may not be associated with poor prognosis. Large size, high mitotic rate, high risk group, and adjacent organ involvement all contribute to bad outcome of GISTs. IM therapy significantly improves survival of patients with intermediate-high risk or advanced GISTs.