title: Pathological complete response in advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor after imatinib therapy.
abstract: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare neoplasm exhibiting, in most cases, mutations of c-kit. Recently it has been demonstrated that a majority of GIST patients with c-kit mutations respond to therapy with imatinib, a c-kit tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Although the response rate in patients treated with imatinib in prospective clinical studies is above 50%, complete response is rare, and the data on the use of imatinib as neoaduvant therapy facilitating radical surgery is still scanty. Here, we report on a patient with metastatic gastric GIST who underwent surgery after 6 months of imatinib therapy. No tumor cells were detected on pathological examination of resection specimen. This case report indicates that a pathological complete response could be achieved with imatinib therapy in patients with GIST, but a wider experience and longer follow-up is necessary to appreciate the prognostic significance of pathological complete response in GIST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Charles University Medical School and Teaching Hospital, Hradec, Králové, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Bohuslav
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Melichar
authors.forename: Zbynek
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Voboril
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nozicka
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ryska
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Urminská
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vanecek
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michal
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases