title: Dose escalation of imatinib after failure of standard dose in Korean patients with metastatic or unresectable gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the results of imatinib dose escalation in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) after disease progression on standard-dose imatinib.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical data from patients with metastatic or unresectable GISTs whose dose of imatinib was increased after disease progression on imatinib 400 mg/day were retrospectively reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 24 patients studied had a median age of 52 years. Imatinib dosing was escalated to 600 mg/day in 12 patients, then to 800 mg/day in four patients. The other 12 patients had dose escalation directly to 800 mg/day. Two patients (8.3%) achieved a partial response, and seven (29.2%) had stable disease. Six-month progression-free and overall survival rates were 33.3 and 70.7%, respectively. Dose escalation to 600 or 800 mg/day was generally well tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Imatinib dose escalation is feasible and well tolerated in patients with advanced GIST who progress on standard-dose therapy, producing clinical benefit in approximately 37% of patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap-2dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Inkeun
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Sun Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sym
authors.forename: Sung Sook
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Geundoo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Tae Won
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Heung Moon
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Jae-Lyun
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hyoungnam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon-Koo
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D044466:Asian People; D001549:Benzamides; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007723:Korea; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017211:Treatment Failure
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha