The Open Pathology Journal
2009, 3 : 53-57Published online 2009 August 29. DOI: 10.2174/1874375700903010053
Publisher ID: TOPATJ-3-53
Evaluating and Reporting Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors after Imatinib Mesylate Treatment
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow
Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
ABSTRACT
Malignant and advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are currently treated with imatinib mesylate, an inhibitor of KIT and PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinase. Pathologic evaluation of residual disease is the gold standard in these cases, as clinical and radiologic assessments of treatment response do not always correlate with the pathologic response. Phenotypic and genotypic changes may also occur which may have an impact on treatment decisions. This review will focus on the role of the pathologist in ordering appropriate testing for the primary tumor, the morphologic, phenotypic and genotypic changes seen following imatinib therapy in cases of advanced GIST, and essential components of the pathology reports.