For GIST patients at low risk, what is the recommended treatment strategy?

For patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) classified as low risk, the preferred treatment strategy is surgical intervention aimed at complete resection. Surgery is critical because it addresses the tumor directly, which is essential for favorable long-term outcomes. Low-risk GISTs are typically defined by factors such as size, mitotic rate, and location, suggesting that they are less likely to metastasize or cause significant complications.

When surgical resection is performed with clear margins, it can lead to long-term disease control or potential cure, as opposed to relying on any adjunctive therapies like chemotherapy or targeted therapy, which may not be indicated for low-risk patients. While adjuvant therapy, such as Gleevac (imatinib), may play a role in higher-risk patients or in those with residual disease, it is not the first-line approach for those deemed at low risk specifically after complete surgical resection.

Other options, such as observation or systemic chemotherapy, are either inappropriate or insufficient for managing low-risk GISTs. Therefore, the central tenet of treatment for low-risk GISTs remains surgical resection. This approach aligns with clinical guidelines that prioritize complete surgical removal for optimal patient outcomes in such cases.