The term gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) was coined in 1983 by Mazur and Clark when they studied the histological origins of these tumors, found in the interstitial cells of Cajal.1 The interstitial cells of Cajal are specialized pacemaker nerve cells of the sympathetic nervous system which drive the rhythmic, peristaltic activity of the intestinal smooth…
Dose adjustments are not necessary for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) when they are given ripretinib with gastric acid reducers and strong CYP3A inhibitors, according to a study published in Clinical Pharmacology in Drug Development. The researchers assessed the drug-drug interaction potentials of ripretinib with 3 other drugs: itraconazole, rifampin, and pantoprazole. They said that…
A new phase 2, interventional, open-label, single-group assignment study of 5 years of adjuvant imatinib treatment in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is expected to open on July 1, 2022. The aim is to assess the safety and efficacy of 5 years of adjuvant imatinib treatment in patients with large tumors (10 cm or…
People with rare diseases who live in the United States have a poor health-related quality of life and experience significant stigma, according to a study published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. A rare disease in the United States can be defined as any disease in which the prevalence is less than 200,000 cases.…
Researchers have identified a set of 3 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that may play a role in the development of imatinib resistance in patients with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), according to a study published in Frontiers in Genetics. The genes FABP4, COL4A1, and RGS4 were discovered through bioinformatic analysis to be upregulated in an…
A new study has found that dovitinib, a fibroblast growth factor receptor inhibitor, has antitumor efficacy in patient- and cell-line-derived gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). The study, published in Biomedicines, established the xenografts by transplanting human GIST tissue bilaterally in adult female NMRI mice. “In the clinic, imatinib has revolutionized the treatment of advanced GIST; however,…
A combination of imatinib and alpelisib as a third-line treatment in patients with an advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) demonstrated an acceptable safety and tolerability profile but initial evidence does not justify additional testing, researchers reported in BMC Cancer. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib, are key drugs for use against KIT-mutated GISTs. Imatinib is…
Leiomyoma is more common than expected among gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) measuring 2 cm or less in diameter, a new study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hematology found. Tissue diagnosis with an effective and safe sampling technique like an endoscopic incisional biopsy is needed to make further clinical decisions, the authors said.…
Researchers reported that Ki67, which is typically overexpressed in tumor cells, may be a useful marker for the risk of recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) transformation, and published their findings in Oncology Letters. GIST is a rare gastrointestinal cancer, only accounting for less than 3% of the total. Although GIST risk and prognosis have been…
The use of neoadjuvant imatinib (Gleevec®) may help reduce the risk of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) requiring more extensive surgery, according to a long-term retrospective study published in the International Journal of Cancer. During the study, patients with large tumors or those located in areas where the primary operation was not feasible or had a…
