title: Perioperative treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: This review describes the current multidisciplinary management of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which is the most common sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Before 2001, surgery was the only effective therapy for GIST. The discovery of the central role of KIT proto-oncogene mutations in the pathogenesis of this tumor, and the development of specific inhibitors of KIT tyrosine kinase (TK) function, has changed the paradigm of treatment for GISTs. Imatinib and sunitinib are TK inhibitors with activity against GISTs. Their major established role in GIST is in the treatment of advanced disease. A growing body of literature and clinical experience support the potential perioperative use of these drugs. The adjuvant use of imatinib is based on retrospective series and limited prospective studies demonstrating that imatinib reduces the risk of recurrence. Ongoing studies are further defining the length of adjuvant therapy, as well as identifying the patients that could achieve the best results. Neoadjuvant treatment often decreases the tumor size, allowing a less morbid surgery, appears to be safe and beneficial for some patients, and therefore deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Oncologia Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gustavo dos Santos
authors.initials: Gdos S
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Blanke
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Paulo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Hoff
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001549:Benzamides; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D046152:Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D007211:Indoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009154:Mutation; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha / Q000235:genetics; D000077210:Sunitinib
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D007211:Indoles; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D010879:Piperazines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D011743:Pyrimidines; D011758:Pyrroles; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D020796:Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor alpha; D000077210:Sunitinib