Introduction.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) are mesenchymal neoplasms (sarcomas) in the gastrointestinal tract (interstitial cells of Cajal). It occurs mostly in the stomach and small intestine. The introduction of imatinib for GIST treatment has changed the prognosis of this disease.

Objective.

To describe the clinical and biological characteristics, and the treatment response to imatinib in Bolivian patients with GIST.

Material and methods.

Retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study of patients with GIST(n=9) referred between March 2012 and July2022. It was collected demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients with immunohistochemical study positive for GIST (CD117, CD34, PDGFRA mutation) who after surgery received treatment with imatinib within the GIPAP program. SWOG criteria and signs of tumor vanishing were considered to assess treatment response and complete remission.

Results.

The mean age of patients (4 women, 5 men) was 56 years. Primary sites of GIST were the stomach and intestine, 56% of patients presented tumor >10 cm in diameter, and 78% metastasis (peritoneum and liver). All patients achieved complete remission after the first year of treatment. Two patients presented relapse after discontinuing treatment, with a follow-up 4 and 8 years respectively; one of them reflected a second remission after restarting treatment.

Conclusions.

These epidemiological data are similar to those reported in other studies, however a late-stages diagnosis and treatment dropout, even when trying a free treatment program, constitute differential variables. Beyond misinformation, patients’ neglect and irresponsibility is worrying.

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