Recent Publications:
Multiplex mutation screening by mass spectrometry in gastrointestinal stromal tumours. Pathology. 2012 Aug;44(5):460-4. (Click here to view)
Efficacy and Safety of Regorafenib in Patients With Metastatic and/or Unresectable GI Stromal Tumor After Failure of Imatinib and Sunitinib: A Multicenter Phase II Trial. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Jul 1;30(19):2401-7. Epub 2012 May 21. (Click here to view)
Crenolanib Inhibits the Drug-Resistant PDGFRA D842V Mutation Associated with Imatinib-resistant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors. Clin Cancer Res. 2012 Jun 27. [Epub ahead of print]. (Click here to view)
Sorafenib Inhibits Many Kinase Mutations Associated with Drug-Resistant Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors. Mol Cancer Ther. 2012 Jun 4. [Epub ahead of print]. (Click here to view)
Multiplex high-throughput gene mutation analysis in acute myeloid leukemia. Hum Pathol. 2012 Jun 1. [Epub ahead of print]. (Click here to view)
Phase II trial of neoadjuvant/adjuvant imatinib mesylate for advanced primary and metastatic/recurrent operable gastrointestinal stromal tumors: long-term follow-up results of Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 0132. Ann Surg Oncol. 2012 Apr;19(4):1074-80. (Click here to view)
Loss of succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB) expression is limited to a distinctive subset of gastric wild-type gastrointestinal stromal tumours: a comprehensive genotype-phenotype correlation study. Histopathology. 2012 Apr 16. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2012.04300.x. [Epub ahead of print]. (Click here to view)
News and Updates:
May 2012
On May 16h, the GIST Cancer Research Fund presented a generous donation in the amount of $120,000 to the Heinrich-Corless Research Lab at the Annual GCRF Grant Presentation Breakfast at OHSU. This extraordinary gift is the result of the endless fundraising efforts of the GCRF and oustanding donations to their organization. Without this support, we would not be able to continue our research to help find a cure for this terrible disease.
Dr. Heinrich and Dr. Corless accepting the extraordinary gift from The GIST Cancer Research Fund.
June 2011
The LifeRaft Group has announced that it will continue funding for the Heinrich and Corless Laboratories to support the advancement of GIST research. The funding is divided into two components: general support for the laboratories, and funding dedicated specifically to the identification of new treatment targets in GISTs, particularly in the setting of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These grants from the LifeRaft Group are part of a program to promote collaborative research on GISTs by members of a research consortium. The renewed support will allow us to continue whole exome sequence analysis of GIST samples so that genes that play a role in the clinical progression of these tumors can be identified and validated as potential new targets for tumor control.
May 2011
On May 11th, the GIST Cancer Research Fund presented a generous donation in the amount of $135,000 to the Heinrich-Corless Research Lab at the GCRF Grant Presentation Breakfast at OHSU. This incredible gift is the result of the amazing fundraising efforts of the GCRF and countless donations to their organization. Without this support, we would not be able to continue to help find a cure for this terrible disease.
Dr. Heinrich and Dr. Corless accepting the generous gift from The GIST Cancer Research Fund.
September 2010
On Saturday, September 25th, the GIST Cancer Research Fund hosted its 3rd Annual Walk For A Cure in La Pine, Oregon. Diana Griffith and Janice Patterson of the Heinrich Lab joined GIST patients, family, and friends, to support fundraising for continued research.
Also this month, Dr. Heinrich was interviewed by Medscape Today (from WebMD) about his commentary on the recently published study in Lancet Oncology from the French Sarcoma group. Dr. Le Cesne and colleagues identified 50 patients with nonprogressive GIST who had been taking imatinib 400 mg/day for 3 years, and randomized them to either continue or stop taking the drug.
After a median follow-up of 35 months, patients who had stopped therapy had a significantly higher risk for rapid progression than those who continued taking the drug. The 2-year progression-free survival was 80% in those who continued taking imatinib, compared with 16% in those who stopped (P < .0001).
"Our results show that treatment interruption after 3 years results in tumor progression in most patients," Dr. Le Cense and colleagues concluded.
All but 3 patients in the discontinuation group relapsed, and most of the relapses (17 of 25 patients; 68%) occurred within a year of stopping therapy. Of the 3 patients who did not relapse, 1 had refused to stop imatinib and the other 2 had their tumors resected.
The same group of researchers conducted several other analyses from the BFR14 trial. They also investigated stopping imatinib after 1 year and after 5 years of therapy. In both cases, stopping treatment led to rapid progression of disease, similar to the findings after 3 years.
