• Duensing’s New GIST Findings

    Anette Duensing, MD is a research pathologist who is a highly valued member of the Science Committee of GIST Support International. A native of Germany, Dr. Duensing did a post-doc at the Dana-Farber lab of Jonathan Fletcher, MD before joining the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh. New Findings on GIST Quiescence Dr. Anette Duensing […]

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  • Adjuvant Gleevec Trial News

    The Z9001 trial of adjuvant Gleevec (imatinib) administered for one year after surgery has been unblinded early after an interim analysis showed a striking difference in recurrence rates for subjects who received Gleevec (97% recurrence-free) versus those who received placebo (83% recurrence-free). Patients currently taking placebo will receive one year of Gleevec. Novartis, manufacturer of […]

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  • Z9000 Adjuvant Imatinib Trial

    Z9000 Trial of Adjuvant Imatinib: Interim Results At the ASCO GI Cancers Symposium in January 2008 Ronald DeMatteo, M.D. presented early results for the Z9000 trial of adjuvant Gleevec for high-risk tumors. Click the presentation title below to link to the abstract. After linking to the abstract on the ASCO site, you can click the […]

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  • Houston Get-Together Featured Dr. Trent

    We gathered from far and wide to enjoy the first Houston meeting on July 26th! by Barbara Doré We were due to meet up for a pre-meeting lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen, only to find that the keener members of the group lost no time in high tailing it all the way from San […]

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  • New Italian GIST group

    A support group for Italian GIST patients has been formed, as announced October 18 at a meeting of oncologists in Italy. L’Associazione Italiana GIST (A.I.G.) has a website at this link: http://www.gistonline.it/ Anna Costato, director of the new group, is also a member of GIST Support International. She stated "I do hope that many Italian […]

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  • Treating GIST

    Treating GIST: Which Target, What Agent, How Much, When To Treat? By Bob Spiegel The “New Challenges in Treating GIST” satellite meeting was held in conjunction with the 2008 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in Orlando in late January. The ASCO conference and numerous satellite meetings were held in The Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & […]

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  • Three GSI Reps Attend ASCO 2008

    Carolyn Grobe, Marina Symcox, and Sherri Janousky (pictured left to right below) registered at the huge American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) convention held in Chicago May 30- June 3, 2008. Intrepidly hiking the halls of the giant convention center as well as satellite meetings in nearby hotels, the trio of GIST Support International members […]

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  • Plasma Imatinib Levels

    Blood plasma levels of imatinib (Gleevec) may predict clinical response At the January 2008 ASCO GI Cancers Symposium Dr. Demetri presented regarding how the measured level of imatinib (Gleevec) in patients’ blood plasma correlated with their treatment outcome. The paper was “Correlation of imatinib plasma levels with clinical benefit in patients (Pts) with unresectable/metastatic gastrointestinal […]

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  • Bike 4 Mike Benefits MSKCC

    In 2007 the scouts and families of Troop Eight, plus other friends, cycled up to fifty miles on the Jersey shore with Mike Prozan and raised over $12,000 for a GIST research fund at MSKCC in Mike’s honor. This year — May 3, 2008 — the Scout Troop and Mike are repeating the event! Funds […]

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  • Attention for GI Cancers

    Lessons in Getting More Attention for GI Cancers by Bob Spiegel "America hasn’t done anything well since World War II." Not the kind of statement you’ld exactly expect from the chief of oncology/hematology at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. And what does it have to do with gastrointestinal cancer? A casual passerby might be […]

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