title: Gastrointestinal stromal tumours: clinical overview, surgery and recent advances in imatinib mesylate therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the clinical features of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs), the role of surgery and its principles and molecular targeted therapies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Medline-based literature search on relevant topics was performed in PubMed for key articles concerning the clinical features, biology and the novel strategies in the management, whether surgical and/or pharmaceutical, of gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Some information was obtained from Proceedings of the American Society for Clinical Oncology published recently.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Surgical resection, the first-line intervention for operable GISTs, was historically the only effective treatment. For residual, metastatic and/or inoperable disease, treatment options remain under intense and continuous scrutiny. However, their molecular genetics, i.e. the mutations of the genes coding for KIT or platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha, two receptor tyrosine kinases, have been targeted for therapeutic intervention by imatinib mesylate -- a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment of GISTs with imatinib has led to dramatic improvements in progression-free and overall survival, thereby rendering its use in the preoperative and postoperative treatment under intense investigation. New investigational agents are being developed and participation in promising clinical trials remains a standard of care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Hippocration Hospital, 11527, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Samelis
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Ekmektzoglou
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Zografos
mesh_terms: D001549:Benzamides; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D010879:Piperazines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate