Update on Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

In recent years, with the emergence of new research evidence, the domestic and foreign guidelines in the field of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) have been updated. The adjusted contents cover almost every link of GISTs management, from GISTs diagnosis, biological behavior, surgical treatment to targeted drug treatment. Since 2020, the NCCN of the United States has separated the contents related to GISTs from the clinical practice guide for soft tissue sarcoma for the first time to form 2021 V.1 versions. The CSCO has also adjusted and upgraded the previous consensus of Chinese experts on the diagnosis and treatment of GISTs to 2020 and 2021 versions of the guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of GISTs. This opens a new model of accurate diagnosis and treatment of GISTs under the guidance of evidence-based medicine. The listing of new targeted drugs afatinib and ripretinib is expected to get rid of the drug-resistant treatment dilemma of metastatic GISTs, enrich the back-line treatment camp, provide more opportunities for surgical intervention, and then bring survival benefits to patients with advanced GISTs.