Follow-up care and monitoring remain essential for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) even after successful treatment, according to Dr. Weijing Sun, associate director at the University of Kansas Cancer Center. Sun explained that after curative surgery, patients need regular surveillance to track tumor features such as size, mutations and growth patterns. TranscriptHow important is follow-up care and ongoing monitoring for patients, even after successful treatment, and what should patients with this diagnosis expect long term? Everybody, regardless of situation, you need surveillance — means follow-up closely. Number two, some patients need treatment to decrease risk of recurrence.