Impact of body mass index on the short-term outcomes of resected gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

BACKGROUND

Potentially curative treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) involves resection with selective utilization of tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A potential association between obesity and GIST has been postulated as GIST is among the most common incidental findings during gastric resection for bariatric procedures. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship and impact of obesity on the pathologic and short-term outcomes in patients with GIST.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of patients with resected GIST. The impact of obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m, on pathologic results and short-term outcomes was evaluated.

RESULTS

Sixty-one patients underwent resection with a median follow-up of 26 mo (1-129 mo). Disease involved the stomach (74%), small intestine (18%), or colon/rectum (5%). Median tumor size was 6 cm, and 13 patients (21%) underwent multivisceral resection. Median BMI for the cohort was 27.2 kg/m, and 24 patients (39%) were classified as obese based on BMI. Nonobese patients were noted to have larger primary tumors (median: 7 cm versus 5 cm, P = 0.02) and undergo multivisceral resection more frequently (32.4% versus 4.2%, P < 0.01). Short-term outcomes were similar between the groups, with a slight trend toward more postoperative complications among the obese patients.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, obese patients tended to have more favorable pathologic features. GISTs may represent another example of the "obesity paradox" in which obesity seemingly provides a protective effect. Larger studies are warranted to verify the impact of obesity on outcomes and to elucidate any underlying clinicopathologic/biologic factors.