Combined treatment strategies in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) after imatinib and sunitinib therapy

Pantaleo, Maria Abbondanza; Nannini, Margherita; Di Battista, Monica; Catena, Fausto; Biasco, Guido

doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2009.10.004

« Previous Next »Cancer Treatment Reviews
Volume 36, Issue 1 , Pages 63-68, February 2010

Combined treatment strategies in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) after imatinib and sunitinib therapy

Maria Abbondanza Pantaleo
- Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences “L.A. Seragnoli”, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
- Emergency Surgery and Transplant Department, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
- Interdepartmental Centre of Cancer Research “G. Prodi”, University of Bologna, Italy
- Corresponding author. Address: Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences “L.A. Seragnoli”, University of Bologna, Sant’Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Tel.: +39 051 6364078; fax + 39 051 6364037.
Margherita Nannini
- Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences “L.A. Seragnoli”, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
Monica Di Battista
- Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences “L.A. Seragnoli”, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
Fausto Catena
- Emergency Surgery and Transplant Department, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
Guido Biasco
- Department of Hematology and Oncological Sciences “L.A. Seragnoli”, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
- Emergency Surgery and Transplant Department, S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Italy
- Interdepartmental Centre of Cancer Research “G. Prodi”, University of Bologna, Italy

Received 5 August 2009; received in revised form 14 October 2009; accepted 19 October 2009. published online 16 November 2009.

Abstract

Resistance to tyrosine-kinase inhibitors remains an open issue in the treatment of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors. The complex biology of disease in the multi-resistant setting has led a progressively growing urgency and interest in development combined or integrated therapies. This mini-review outlines the rationale for developing new combined therapeutic approaches, and describes the state of the art of the various potential strategies and the promising research perspectives.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), KIT, PGFRA, Imatinib, Sunitinib, Tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, Surgery