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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
Robotic Duodenal Sleeve Resection for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor with Rare Exon 8 KIT Mutation Following Neoadjuvant Imatinib
Published on: April 3, 2026
Phase II study of imatinib mesylate in chemotherapy refractory germ cell tumors expressing KIT
Lawrence H Einhorn1, Mary J Brames, Michael C Heinrich
1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana and Walther Cancer Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA. leinhorn@iupui.edu
Objective:
This phase II study was conducted to determine the activity of imatinib (gleevec) in heavily pretreated patients with KIT-positive metastatic germ cell tumor.
Materials And Methods:
From June 2002 through April 2005, 18 patients with refractory germ cell tumors were tested for KIT expression by immunohistochemistry. All patients screened were deemed to be incurable with further standard chemotherapy or surgery. Six patients were eligible and treated with imatinib 600 mg/d orally.
Results:
There were no complete or partial remissions. Five of 6 patients had progressive disease and 1 patient had stable disease with a >50% decline in serum alpha-fetoprotein for 3 months before developing further progression.
Conclusion:
In this small sample size, there was no evidence of significant antitumor activity of imatinib in patients with KIT-positive refractory germ cell tumors.
Insights
Imatinib (Gleevec) showed no significant antitumor activity in patients with KIT-positive metastatic germ cell tumors. The study found no remissions, with most patients experiencing progressive disease despite treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Research
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Metastatic germ cell tumors (GCTs) are a significant challenge in oncology.
- KIT expression is observed in some GCTs, presenting a potential therapeutic target.
- Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with activity against KIT.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of imatinib (Gleevec) in heavily pretreated patients with KIT-positive metastatic germ cell tumors.
- To determine if imatinib demonstrates significant antitumor activity in this refractory patient population.
Main Methods:
- A phase II clinical study involving 18 patients with refractory GCTs.
- KIT expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry.
- Six eligible patients received oral imatinib 600 mg daily.
Main Results:
- No complete or partial remissions were observed in any of the treated patients.
- Five out of six patients experienced progressive disease.
- One patient achieved stable disease with a temporary decline in alpha-fetoprotein, but ultimately progressed.
Conclusions:
- Imatinib demonstrated no significant antitumor activity in this cohort of KIT-positive refractory germ cell tumors.
- The small sample size limits definitive conclusions, but suggests limited benefit.
- Further research may be needed to explore other therapeutic strategies for this patient group.
