A NEW multicentre retrospective study has revealed that inflammatory biomarkers and treatment adherence play a crucial role in predicting the prognosis of high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) patients. Conducted across 17 medical centres in China, the study analysed 145 patients diagnosed between 2013 and 2019, focusing on factors affecting recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS).
The researchers found that age, preoperative inflammatory markers, mitotic index, and adherence to postoperative imatinib (IM) therapy were strongly associated with recurrence and survival outcomes. Younger patients had better recurrence-free survival, while preoperative inflammatory markers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), correlated with both recurrence and overall survival. A higher mitotic index was linked to poorer recurrence-free survival, and patients who did not take imatinib regularly had a significantly higher risk of recurrence and mortality.
Cox regression analysis identified preoperative PNI and postoperative IM therapy as independent predictors of overall survival. The study highlights the importance of incorporating inflammatory markers, particularly PNI, into clinical assessments to refine risk stratification and treatment decisions for high-risk GIST patients. The findings reinforce the role of imatinib as an essential adjuvant therapy and suggest that patients with low PNI may need closer monitoring and more aggressive intervention.
Aleksandra Zurowska, EMJ
Reference
Wang T et al. Inflammatory biomarker correlations and prognosis in high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor patients: a multicenter retrospective analysis. BMC Gastroenterol. 2025;DOI: 10.1186/s12876-025-03710-8.
