The fact that gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare tumor type, with an estimated incidence of 3,300 to 6,000 new cases per year in the United States, can make it more challenging for oncologists and other members of the cancer care team to stay up to date on the latest therapeutic developments. Treatment for GIST has seen exciting progress this year, with two new FDA approvals for metastatic disease. This episode of Oncology Data Advisor features Dr. Shreyaskumar Patel, Robert R. Herr...

The treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a rare tumor type with an estimated incidence of 3,300 to 6,000 new cases per year in the United States, has seen exciting advances this year, first with the FDA's approval of avapritinib for metastatic GIST with platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutations, and more recently with last month's approval of ripretinib for the later-line treatment of metastatic GIST. Margaret von Mehren, MD, principal investigator o...

Ripretinib (QinlockTM, Diciphera Pharmaceuticals, LLC) represents a new option for patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) previously treated with at least three kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. In this interview with i3 Health, Margaret von Mehren, MD, lead investigator of the INVICTUS study, on which ripretinib's recent FDA approval was based, discusses how this treatment compares with other options for advanced GIST in terms of efficacy and adverse events. What are ...

The FDA has approved avapritinib (AyvakitTM, Blueprint Medicines) for adults with unresectable or metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutations, including D842V mutations, the most common type of exon 18 mutation. Up to 10% of patients with GIST harbor PDGFRA mutations, which have been linked to GIST development. "GIST harboring a PDGFRA exon 18 mutation do not respond to standard therapies for GIST," commented Rich...

Up to 10% of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) harbor platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutations, which have been linked to resistance to standard GIST therapies. The FDA's recent approval of avapritinib (AyvakitTM, Blueprint Medicines) for adults with unresectable or metastatic GIST with PDGFRA exon 18 mutations has given these patients a highly promising treatment option. In this interview, Michael C. Heinrich, MD, lead investigator of the phase ...

Because gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has an estimated incidence of 3,300 to 6,000 new cases per year in the United States, comprising less than 1% of all gastrointestinal tumors, the rarity of this tumor type can make it more challenging for oncologists and other members of the cancer care team to stay up to date on the latest treatments. Michael C. Heinrich, MD, lead investigator of the phase 1 NAVIGATOR trial, recently spoke with i3 Health about the FDA's approval of avapritinib (Ayva...

The FDA has approved ripretinib (QinlockTM, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, LLC) for adults with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) previously treated with at least three kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. Gastrointestinal stromal tumor is a rare tumor type with a yearly incidence of around 4,000 to 6,000 in the United States. "Despite the progress that has been made over the past 20 years in developing treatments for GIST, including four FDA-approved targeted therapies––imatinib in...