New developments in gastrointestinal stromal tumor

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review will provide an update of important studies in gastrointestinal stromal tumor with an emphasis on those published over the past 2 years. RECENT FINDINGS: Over the past 60 years basic scientists, pathologists and clinical investigators have studied gastrointestinal stromal tumor with no major advances in patient care until the late 1990s. Discovery at that time of the critical biological role of Kit in gastrointestinal stromal tumor led to the development of one of the most exciting examples of targeted therapy to date. The success of the Kit tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib mesylate (Gleevec, formerly STI-571), has caught the attention of the medical community. With the use of targeted therapy in a targetable disease, new developments in our understanding of epidemiology, genetics, histopathology, radiographic imaging and the biology of gastrointestinal stromal tumor have become apparent. Recent findings are discussed herein. SUMMARY: Continued intense study of gastrointestinal stromal tumor may lead to new paradigms that could revolutionize all of oncology.