Clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, molecular-genetic and risk profiles of gastrointestinal stromal tumors in a cohort of Sudanese patients.

BACKGROUND

Determining the risk of malignant behaviour and mutational status of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) guide the management decision and allow optimal individualized patient treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To determine clinicopathological, immunohistochemical (IHC), risk and KIT mutational findings of GISTs in Sudanese patients.

METHODS

Histological slides were reviewed, IHC for DOG-1 and CD117 performed and hotspot KIT mutations examined. The risk group was assigned using combined risk criteria.

RESULTS

21 of the 36 patients (58.3%) were males (mean age, 54.83 ±12.57; range, 26-71). Abdominal pain and mass were the most frequent symptoms. Mean tumor size (±SD) was 11.6(±5.82) cm. Either CD117, DOG1 or both were positive in all cases. Using risk criteria, 33.3% (n=12) were clinically malignant at presentation, 13.9% (n=5) high risk, 16.7% (n=6) intermediate, 27.8% (n=10) low risk and 2.8% (n=1) very low risk. Sixteen of 23 (70%) tested cases had KIT (14 exon 11 and two exon 9) mutations. Six tumors were wild type. Exon 11 deletions (p.I563-L576 del and p.V559-N566delinsD) significantly correlate with disease recurrence (p-value: 0.028).

CONCLUSIONS

Sudanese patients with GIST tend to present late. Nearly half of them correspond to the malignant/high-risk category. The frequency of KIT mutations (79.31%) is in line with the literature.