Loss of p16 protein defines high-risk patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors: a tissue microarray study.

Despite clearly defined histologic criteria, the prediction of tumor behavior for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) still poses a challenge to pathologists. Therefore, searching for alternative markers that allow for better prognostic evaluation is an important task. To determine the practicability of immunohistochemical staining for p16 in clinical cases, we examined p16 protein expression in a group of 284 GISTs, a subset of which had long-term follow-up (median, 45 months; range, 1-204 months).

NCCN Task Force report: optimal management of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST)--expansion and update of NCCN clinical practice guidelines.

NCCN's Sarcoma Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology include a subsection regarding treatment recommendations on gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). GIST is one area of medicine where the standard of practice has been affected rapidly and dramatically by the introduction of effective molecularly targeted therapy for this disease. There are few examples in modern medicine in which the implementation of new technologies into practice has so radically and rapidly affected clinical diagnostic strategies and treatments with significant implications for the care of patients.