Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2014 Feb 18:14:102.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-102.

The epidemiology of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in Taiwan, 1998-2008: a nation-wide cancer registry-based study

Nai-Jung Chiang, Li-Tzong Chen  1 , Chia-Rung Tsai, Jeffrey S Chang
Affiliations

The epidemiology of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in Taiwan, 1998-2008: a nation-wide cancer registry-based study

Nai-Jung Chiang et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: To investigate the incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) in Taiwan and the impact of imatinib on the overall survival (OS) of GIST patients.

Methods: GISTs were identified from the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR) from 1998 to 2008. The age-adjusted incidence rates and the observed OS rates were calculated. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to examine the mortality risk in three time periods (1998-2001, 2002-2004, 2005-2008) according to the application and availability of imatinib.

Results: From 1998 to 2008, 2,986 GISTs were diagnosed in Taiwan. The incidence increased from 1.13 per 100,000 in 1998 to 1.97 per 100,000 in 2008. The most common sites were stomach (47-59%), small intestine (31-38%), and colon/rectum (6-9%). The 5-year observed OS was 66.5% (60.3% for men, 74.2% for women, P < .0001). GISTs in the stomach had a better 5-year observed OS (69.4%) than those in the small intestine (65.1%) (P < .0001). The outcome of GIST improved significantly after the more widespread use of imatinib; the 5-year observed OS increased from 58.9% during 1998-2001 to 70.2% during 2005-2008 (P < .0001). Younger age, female sex, stomach location, and later diagnostic years were independent predictors of a better survival.

Conclusions: The incidence of GIST has been increasing in Taiwan, partially due to the advancement of diagnostic technology/method and the increased awareness by physicians. The outcome of GIST has improved significantly with the availability and the wider use of imatinib.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The incidence rate of gastrointestinal stromal tumors, Taiwan, 1998–2008: A) Overall and by sex; B) By primary sites.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The 5-yr observed overall survival rate of gastrointestinal stromal tumors by primary sites and diagnostic periods (1998–2001, 2002–2004, and 2005–2008), Taiwan, 1998–2008 ( * Others: retroperitoneum and unspecific sites).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Kitamura Y, Hirota S, Nishida T. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST): a model for molecule-based diagnosis and treatment of solid tumors. Cancer Sci. 2003;94(4):315–320. doi: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.2003.tb01439.x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Fletcher CD, Berman JJ, Corless C, Gorstein F, Lasota J, Longley BJ, Miettinen M, O'Leary TJ, Remotti H, Rubin BP. et al. Diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a consensus approach. Hum Pathol. 2002;33(5):459–465. doi: 10.1053/hupa.2002.123545. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Mazur MT, Clark HB. Gastric stromal tumors. Reappraisal of histogenesis. Am J Surg Pathol. 1983;7(6):507–519. doi: 10.1097/00000478-198309000-00001. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chan KH, Chan CW, Chow WH, Kwan WK, Kong CK, Mak KF, Leung MY, Lau LK. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors in a cohort of Chinese patients in Hong Kong. World J Gastroenterol. 2006;12(14):2223–2228. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang X, Mori I, Tang W, Utsunomiya H, Nakamura M, Nakamura Y, Zhou G, Kakudo K. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors: clinicopathological study of Chinese cases. Pathol Int. 2001;51(9):701–706. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1827.2001.01260.x. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types