TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Targeted therapy
Source: Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treatment (Adult) (PDQ®)–Patient Version, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: August 28, 2020 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Treatment Option Overview / Four types of standard treatment are used:
Targeted therapy is a type of treatment that uses drugs or other substances to identify and attack specific cancer cells. Targeted therapies usually cause less harm to normal cells than chemotherapy or radiation therapy do.
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Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are targeted therapy drugs that block signals needed for tumors to grow. TKIs may be used to treat GISTs that cannot be removed by surgery or to shrink GISTs so they become small enough to be removed by surgery. Imatinib mesylate and sunitinib are two TKIs used to treat GISTs. TKIs are sometimes given for as long as the tumor does not grow and serious side effects do not occur.
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See Drugs Approved for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors for more information.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice