The gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) remedy panorama has shifted in recent times as a result of emergence of recent therapies, lots of which sufferers ought to concentrate on.
“Crucial factor you are able to do for these sufferers once you first see them is to carry out mutational profiling. You’re taking a bit of the tumor tissue and search for these particular gene mutations,” Dr. Rosario Ligresti defined.
Ligresti is the chief of Gastroenterology and Interventional Endoscopy at Hackensack Meridian Well being, and he sat down for an interview with CURE to delve into the subject.
Transcript
How has the remedy panorama for GIST modified in recent times? What new therapies or advances ought to sufferers with GIST concentrate on?
Amongst all of the gastrointestinal tumors on the market, I feel that is in all probability emblematic of the way in which oncology goes. We discuss precision-guided remedy and precision medication fairly often in oncology, however the pathological adjustments that happen in GISTs symbolize that total area.
GISTs are very distinctive tumors in that they begin and are pushed by one in every of three particular genetic mutations in a affected person’s genes. When you’ve one in every of these mutations, it will probably trigger these tumors to both develop roughly considerably. The way in which remedy has modified is that when you’ve these mutations, you possibly can goal them with particular medicines.
Initially, when GISTs had been first described, the one possibility for sufferers was surgical procedure, which stays an important possibility. You see the tumor, and also you take away it. If sufferers are presenting with obstruction, bleeding, ulceration or hassle swallowing, eradicating the tumor continues to be essential.
Nonetheless, if the tumor has been recognized when the affected person already has superior illness or if it has unfold outdoors of the intestinal tract, that is once you begin speaking about giving sufferers medical remedy or chemotherapy. The chemotherapy used for these sufferers may be very completely different from the usual chemotherapy for different intestinal tumors, comparable to adenocarcinomas, colon cancers, or abdomen cancers. These are medicines used particularly to dam a sure genetic product that these tumors make due to genetic mutations inside the tumor.
Crucial factor you are able to do for these sufferers once you first see them is to carry out mutational profiling. You’re taking a bit of the tumor tissue and search for these particular gene mutations. Why does this matter? As a result of it actually helps you decide which medicine will probably be only for these tumors. That is what has actually modified on this area, and it is emblematic of all of oncology now.
We’re being very exact in regards to the mutation that the affected person’s tumor has, whereas previously, remedy was very broad-spectrum and generic. That is now focused particularly to the tumor that the affected person has.
Reference
- “Skilled Oncologist Breaks Down the Present Remedy Panorama of GIST,” by Ryan Scott. CURE, August 19, 2025; https://www.curetoday.com/view/expert-oncologist-breaks-down-the-current-treatment-landscape-of-gist
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
For extra information on most cancers updates, analysis and schooling, don’t overlook to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters right here.
