title: Advances in adjuvant therapy of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: The Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST) is the most common sarcoma of the gastrointestinal tract. Major prognostic indices in the evaluation and management of GIST include the size, location and tumor mitotic rate. The discovery of the mutation in the tyrosine kinase receptor c-KIT (CD117) revolutionized the treatment of GIST in the early twenty-first century. Since the first case report of the success of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) imatinib, in the treatment of a female patient with metastatic GIST, the paradigm of treatment of this tumor has evolved tremendously. The initial use in metastatic GISTs has progressed to use of the TKI in both the adjuvant and neoadjuvant settings. It is now standard of care for patients with complete resection of primary localized GIST, with high risk of recurrence, to have at least one year of adjuvant imatinib. Recent SSGVXIII study shows that patients benefit from extended duration of therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, 676 North St. Clair Street, Suite 850, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adekola
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Agulnik
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*; D006801:Humans; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001549:Benzamides; D010879:Piperazines; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011743:Pyrimidines; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate