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Treatment for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) was revolutionized with the advent of imatinib, which targets mutated KIT and PDGFR gene products that drive growth in these rare cancers. Imatinib results in dramatic tumor response and protracted survival in patients with metastatic disease, and administration of adjuvant imatinib for 12 months after resection prolongs recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared with surgery alone. However, recurrence is common after discontinuation of adjuvant treatment.
To determine whether extending adjuvant imatinib treatment would benefit patients at high risk for GIST recurrence after surgery, investigators conducted an international, multicenter, phase III trial comparing 12 months vers…