Epidemiology of gastrointestinal stroma tumours (GIST) in Germany 2003 – 2021: Rising incidence and improved survival

In line with national and international data, the incidence of GIST in Germany increased between 2003 and 2021, while survival has improved in the same time period after the introduction of imatinib for adjuvant treatment of GIST in Germany in the year 2009. An increasing number of small endoscopically detected lesions may have contributed to the rising incidence of GIST. Primary care physicians should be aware of the increasing frequency of GIST. With the collection of detailed therapy data and information on prognostic markers, further evaluations of clinical issues will also be possible in the future using German cancer registry data.