Adjuvant imatinib mesylate reduces risk of gastrointestinal stromal tumor recurrence

摘要

Data from a Phase III study published in The Lancet suggest that adjuvant imatinib mesylate (Glivec~R) taken after surgical resection of localized primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is safe and seems to improve recurrence-free survival compared with placebo.The trial, led by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group (ACOSOG), examined postsurgery treatment of more than 700 GIST patients. Researchers found that 98% of patients receiving 400 mg of imatinib daily remained tumor-free 1 year after surgery, compared with 83% of the patients receiving placebo (p < 0.0001). In addition, at median follow-up of 19.7 months, 8% of patients in the imatinib group had had tumor recurrence or had died compared with 20% in the placebo group. The treatment was well tolerated with a low rate of serious adverse events.