Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors News and Research

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Minimal improvements made in survival rates of AYA population with cancer

Despite cancer survival rates increasing dramatically for children and older adults in the last 20 years, there has been minimal improvement in the survival rates in the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) population, an age range defined as 15 – 29 years by the presenters.

16 Mar 2010

VARI researchers find ways to reverse resistance to sunitinib: Patients with ccRCC show positive response

Van Andel Research Institute researchers have found a way to reverse resistance to sunitinib, a treatment that is currently the first line of defense against clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a deadly form of kidney cancer. Most patients who show a positive response to sunitinib develop a resistance to the drug after one year of treatment.

19 Feb 2010

Synta Pharmaceuticals initiates STA-9090 Phase 2 clinical trial for GIST

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that it is initiating a Phase 2 clinical study of STA-9090 in patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). This is the sixth clinical study of STA-9090, a potent, synthetic, small molecule Hsp90 inhibitor with a novel chemical structure.

23 Dec 2009

Data on Synta Pharmaceuticals' STA-9090 synthetic inhibitor of Hsp90 presented

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that preclinical data presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics shows that STA-9090, a novel, synthetic inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), demonstrated strong activity in multiple tumor models.

18 Nov 2009

Marker genes help determine the effectiveness of targeted molecular drug regimen for treating GIST

Analysis of a small number of marker genes may determine in a matter of hours if a patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) would respond to a targeted molecular drug regimen. This analysis could allow clinicians to determine if they have chosen the best course of action or need to consider another alternative.

15 Oct 2009

Study finds survival rates from GIST improving among African-Americans

New research published in the July issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons reveals that African Americans with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), a rare cancer that begins in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract, now have survival rates equivalent to those of Caucasians. Prior to 2000, African Americans were more likely to develop GIST and less likely to undergo surgical treatment for this type of cancer.

14 Jul 2009

Gleevec reduces risk of cancer returning in patients with life-threatening gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Data published online and in an upcoming print issue of The Lancet show that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, when taken after surgery, substantially reduces the rate of recurrence of Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) compared with placebo.

20 Mar 2009

Study shows surgery provides good long-term outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal cancers

New research published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons shows that laparoscopic removal of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is safe and effective, with a disease-free survival rate of nearly 80 percent after an average follow-up time of three and a-half years.

15 Jan 2009

Gleevec receives FDA priority review for gastrointestinal stromal tumors after surgery

Novartis has announced that Gleevec (imatinib mesylate) tablets, (known as Glivec (imatinib) outside the US, Canada and Israel), has been granted priority review status by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first therapy to be reviewed for use after surgery in kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

27 Aug 2008

More good Gleevec news

Gleevec, the targeted cancer pill that has saved more than 100,000 lives, now is saving more children with a dire leukemia, as well as preventing disease progression with long term use in adults with chronic myeloid leukemia.

10 Dec 2007

Modified form of imatinib becomes more specific

Imatinib (marketed as Gleevec in the US and Glivec in Europe and Australia) is used to treat various cancers, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).

4 Dec 2007

Gleevec available to patients in post-surgical GIST study

Investigators will begin offering Gleevec(R) (imatinib mesylate)* tablets to patients receiving placebo in a major North American clinical trial after an interim analysis showed participants with Kit-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated with Gleevec following surgery were significantly less likely to experience a return of their cancer compared to those not taking this innovative therapy.

15 Apr 2007

Maraviroc to receive accelerated review in U.S. and Europe

Pfizer announced today that marketing authorization applications for maraviroc will receive accelerated review in both the United States and Europe. Accelerated reviews are granted to potential medicines that, if approved, would represent significant improvements over current therapies.

13 Feb 2007

Gleevec may cause heart problems

Gleevec, the wildly successful poster-child of a new generation of cancer drugs aimed at specific targets in the cancer cell, can be dangerous to the heart.

24 Jul 2006

Gleevec strangles drug-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer

A medication used to treat other types of cancer strangles drug-resistant, metastatic prostate cancer by cutting off its blood supply, researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the June 7 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

7 Jun 2006

Long-term benefits of imatinib for patients newly diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia

The overall survival of most people with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) treated with imatinib (Gleevec, STI-571) is extremely high and the relapse rate is quite low, according to new data from a study out of the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute.

6 Jun 2006

Study confirms Gleevec's long-term benefits in treating advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors

People with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who take Gleevec (imatinib) for prolonged periods continue to benefit from the drug, according to a five-year study by Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute researchers.

6 Jun 2006

Cancer treatment interferes with bone development

According to researchers in the U.S. the cancer drug Gleevec (imatinib), which has dramatically improved survival prospects for some cancer patients, can interfere with bone development.

11 May 2006

New way to study proteins in live cells

For the first time, Johns Hopkins researchers were able to easily jumpstart the activity of a well-known cancer protein in live cells with a small molecule, a strategy that pinpointed key players in the cancer process and can be used to determine new therapeutic targets.

9 Mar 2006

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have identified three new genetic mutations in brain tumors

...a discovery that could pave the way for more effective cancer treatments.

27 Sep 2005