Treatment
Other Therapeutic Approaches
Several other approaches to the treatment of GIST, especially for the small number of patients who fail to respond or who progress on Glivec, are also under investigation. Many of these are entering clinical trials, and some have shown encouraging activity. These new approaches include:
- Other targeted agents
- Use of Glivec in combination with other therapies
Future management strategies such as adjuvant and neoadjuvant Glivec therapy are aimed at improving outcomes in patients with GIST.
The bleak prognostic picture for patients with malignant GIST has changed with the availability of Glivec, a specific inhibitor of the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase. Glivec is the standard of care for unresectable and/or malignant metastatic GIST.