title: Disease progression following imatinib failure in gastrointestinal stromal tumors: role of surgical therapy.
abstract: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent the most common mesenchymal neoplasms of the GI tract. The optimal management of GISTs has been evolving rapidly over the past 5 years and depends on proper histopathologic and radiologic diagnosis as well as appropriate multidisciplinary medical and surgical treatments. Complete surgical resection of primary localized GIST with negative margins remains the best therapeutic option today. In the setting of locally advanced or metastatic disease, imatinib mesylate has emerged as the initial treatment of choice, administered either as cytoreductive or as definitive treatment. Surgery or ablative modalities in this setting are becoming increasingly employed, particularly when all disease becomes amenable to gross resection or destruction, or to manage complications arising from the disease following imatinib failure. We report on the surgical management of an unusual and clinically significant complication following progression of disease secondary to imatinib resistance. The role of surgical therapy in the management of GIST complications following resistance to imatinib and the integration of surgical and molecular therapy of locally advanced or metastatic GISTs are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. fj03@aub.edu.lb
authors.forename: Faek R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.forename: Sophie S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Darwiche
authors.forename: Nizar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: El-Kinge
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tawil
authors.forename: Assaad M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Soweid
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018450:Disease Progression; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases