title: Treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor with imatinib mesylate: a retrospective single-center experience in Heidelberg.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract. Surgery has been the only effective therapy. However, many patients still eventually die of disease recurrence. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have been of limited value. Imatinib mesylate (Glivec) is an orally administered competitive inhibitor of tyrosine kinases associated with the KIT, ABL protein, licensed for the treatment of metastatic GIST since 2002 in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  We summarized the data of 16 patients with advanced or metastatic GIST treated with imatinib mesylate in palliative and neoadjuvant settings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall response was 81%, with no evidence of disease (NED) in 3/16 (19%), partial response (PR) in 9/16 (56%) and stable disease (SD) in 1/16 (6%), whereas 3/16 patients (19%) suffered from progressive disease (PD). Mean follow-up was 18.6 months [range: 4-30]. Mean progression-free survival (PFS) was 17.6 months [range: 0-30], mean overall survival (OS) from initial diagnosis was 32.3 months [range: 5-122]. Most common side effects were periorbital edema and skin rash.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imatinib mesylate is well tolerated in a dose of up to 800 mg/day and has significant activity during long- term treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic GIST.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine V, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. Bernd_Kasper@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Bernd
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kasper
authors.forename: Birgit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kallinowski
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Herrmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lehnert
authors.forename: Gunhild
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mechtersheimer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geer
authors.forename: Anthony D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Gerlinde
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Egerer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases