Abstract
Long-term survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) was very rare. Recently treatment with imatinib mesylate, a molecular targeted agent that inhibits the KIT tyrosine kinase receptor showed 81.6% of outstanding clinical response (PR 53.7%, SD 27.9%). Grade 3 or higher toxicities occurred in 21.1% including edema, neutropenia, nausea, dermatitis, hepatitis and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The drug was ralatively safe overall. Number of molecular targeted agents are now in clinical trial. They will be mainstay of future therapies of gastrointestinal tumors.
