January 6th, 2011 - By Jerry Call, LRG Science CoordinatorThe first ever clinical trial specifically for the PDGFRA D842V mutation has been announced by Arog pharmaceuticals. The phase II trial is scheduled to open in [...]
KIT exon 11 and exon 9 mutations represent the two most common types of mutations (wild-type GIST is technically not a type of mutation but a lack of mutations) found in GIST patients. About 60 to 65 percent of GIST patients have a KIT exon 11 mutation and about 10 to15 percent have a KIT exon 9 mutation.
This month, Novartis Pharmaceuticals (maker of Gleevec) launched a new website designed to help optimize the outcome of GIST patients taking Gleevec. Some of the featured content is about blood level testing for GIST. In addition, the website prominently links to the Avantix labs website (www.bloodleveltesting.com) for testing Gleevec blood levels in CML and GIST.
Treatment strategies & mutational testing were among key topics at CTOS 2008. There were also other presentations and posters regarding GIST were presented at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) meeting on November 13 to [...]
GIST patients face many decisions about their treatment. Many GIST patients have surgery to remove a primary tumor and do not have detectable metastases at the time of surgery. This large group of patients faces the decision of whether or not to take Gleevec to try to prevent or delay a recurrence. Adjuvant therapy refers to additional treatment given after a main mode of therapy (the main treatment is usually surgery). For example, Gleevec given after surgery in hopes of preventing or delaying a recurrence is called adjuvant therapy.
This is part one of a two-part series on “KIT and PDGFRA kinase mutations in GIST: from A to Z”. In this newsletter, Dr. Heinrich will provide a background on the role of kinase mutations in GIST, focusing largely on the biological and clinical implications of these mutations. In part two (which will be featured in the July 2007 edition of the newsletter, following the special “Five-year anniversary” edition),
