Abstract: Objective 　To study the clinical character, t reatment and prognosis of gast rointestinal stromal tumors. Methods 　All cases of gast rointestinal st romal tumors ( GISTs) in PUMCH who were diagnosed between 1986 and J anuary 2006 were analyzed ret rospectively to evaluate their clinical findings. Results 　There were totally ninety-one cases. Most of them occured in the stomach (38.5 %) and less commonly in the small intestine (33. 0 %) . 68 cases (75 %) were symptomatic, including abdominal pain, gastroin-testinal bleeding and weight loss. Endoscopy and computed tomograph were two more sensitive way for detection of GISTs. The positive immunohistochemical rate of CD117 and CD34 were 83. 7 % and 88. 5 % respectively in GISTs. The main t reatment of GISTs was surgery. They rarely spread to regional lymph nodes (3. 3 %) . Seven cases of advanced GISTs were t reated with chemotherapy in first line and no case got response. Eleven cases got imatinib. Ten cases could be evaluated. The response rate was 40 %, the disease cont rol rate was 80 % and the median survival time was more than 10 months. Eighty2four cases were long-term followed up and median follow time was 13 months. The median survival time was 16. 5 months, 12year survival rate 52. 9 %, 22year survival rate 19. 5 %. Conclusion 　The Clinical characteristics of GISTs are different f rom that of other common gastrointestinal cancers. CD117 is important for the diagnosis of GISTs . Molecular target therapy can improve the survival of the patients with advanced GISTs .