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Imatinib: a guide to its use as adjuvant therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in the EU

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Abstract

Imatinib (Glivec®, Gleevec®), an oral multi-kinase inhibitor, is indicated as adjuvant treatment in adults who are at significant risk of relapse following surgical resection of KIT (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST). Adjuvant imatinib 400 mg/day for 1 year prolonged recurrence-free survival relative to placebo in patients with GIST. The recommended duration of treatment of adjuvant imatinib 400 mg/day is 3 years, as this protocol improved both recurrence-free and overall survival in patients with high-risk GIST to a significantly greater extent than 1 year of treatment. Adjuvant imatinib is reasonably well tolerated.

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Acknowledgments

The manuscript was reviewed by: M. Eriksson, Department of Oncology, Lund University and Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden; E. Obarcanin, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Disclosure

This article was written by a salaried employee of Adis/Springer, and was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit.

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    Katherine A. Lyseng-Williamson

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  1. Katherine A. Lyseng-Williamson
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Correspondence to Katherine A. Lyseng-Williamson.

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Lyseng-Williamson, K.A. Imatinib: a guide to its use as adjuvant therapy for gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) in the EU. Drugs Ther Perspect 31, 45–51 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40267-014-0179-4

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