Is endoscopic treatment a useful therapeutic option for esophageal gastrointestinal stromal tumors?

Decisions regarding the management of patients with esophageal gastrointestinal tumors (EGISTs) are very challenging, as there are still no clear guidelines on the treatment of these tumors due to their rarity. Surgery remains the standard treatment, but it is known that surgical procedures performed on the esophagus are related to a high risk of serious postoperative complications and impaired quality of life. Endoscopic resection is both safe and effective for patients with low-risk EGISTs. This article presents the current therapeutic options in patients with EGISTs, including both the endoscopic and surgical approach, and discusses the results, strengths and limitations of the recent article by Xu et al regarding the endoscopic treatment outcome of EGISTs.