Heikki Joensuu, MD, PhD, professor of oncology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland, discusses the randomized phase III trial that looked at imatinib (Gleevec) after surgery in patients with high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

The trial compared two arms, one with patient receiving imatinib for 1 year and the other receiving the drug for 3 years. The primary endpoint of the trials was recurrence-free survival (RFS). The 3-year arm demonstrated superior improvement in RFS and improved 5-year overall survival benefits of 92% vs 81.7% in the 1-year arm.

An important note for this trial is that it examined high-risk GIST patients that experience recurrence in approximately 50% of cases. This trial demonstrated a 5-year RFS of 65.6% in the 3-year arm and 47.9% in the other.

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Gastrointestinal Cancer

The OncLive Gastrointestinal Cancer condition center page is a comprehensive resource for clinical news and expert insights on various types of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, esophageal cancer, and more. This page features news articles, interviews in written and video format, and podcasts that focus on unmet needs, treatment advances, and ongoing research in GI cancers.

ASCO Annual Meeting

Dr. Heikki Joensuu from the Helsinki University Central Hospital Summarizes the Imatinib for High-Risk high-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) Trial

Dr. Joensuu on the Imatinib for High-Risk GIST Trial