Abstract
Background. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are usually refractory to standard chemotherapeutic agents. We successfully treated a patient with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (STI571) for GIST with peritoneal dissemination and liver metastases. Methods. In a 32-year-old man presenting with abdominal pain from diffuse peritonitis, a GIST and associated perforated small intestine were resected. Multiple liver metastases were present. After therapies with microwave coagulation, ethanol injection, and local and systemic antineoplastic drugs (fluorouracil, cisplatin, tegafur-uracil, and tegafur) failed, investigational treatment with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor was initiated (STI571, 300 mg, p.o. daily). Results. Anorexia and abdominal fullness resolved within a few days. At 24 days after initiation, positron emission tomography showed a remarkable decrease in the abdominal uptake of [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose. Adverse effects of STI571, including mild alopecia and anemia, were minimal. Conclusions. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor STI571 may be effective against GISTs.
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Yamamoto, S., Kubo, S., Shuto, T. et al. Treatment with STI571, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for gastrointestinal stromal tumor with peritoneal dissemination and multiple liver metastases. J Gastroenterol 38, 896–899 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-002-1168-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-002-1168-2