Adjuvant imatinib treatment improves recurrence-free survival in patients with high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST).
Palliative imatinib treatment has dramatically improved survival in patients with malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours, particularly in patients with tumours harbouring activating KIT mutations. To evaluate the effectiveness of adjuvant imatinib after radical surgery, a consecutive series of patients with high-risk tumours (n=23) was compared with historic controls (n=48) who were treated with surgery alone. The mean follow-up period was over 3 years in both groups. Only 1 out of 23 patients (4%) in the adjuvant treatment group developed recurrent disease compared to 32 out of 48 patients (67%) in the control group. This preliminary study indicates that 1 year of adjuvant treatment with imatinib dramatically improves recurrence-free survival. Confirmation of these findings awaits the results of ongoing randomised studies.
Nilsson
B
B
Lundberg Laboratory for Cancer Research, Department of Surgery at the Sahlgrenska Academy, Göteborg University, Göteborg 41345, Sweden. bengt.e.nilsson@vgregion.se
Sjölund
K
K
Kindblom
L-G
LG
Meis-Kindblom
J M
JM
Bümming
P
P
Nilsson
O
O
Andersson
J
J
Ahlman
H
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001549:Benzamides; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases