A phase III randomized study evaluating surgery of residual disease in patients with metastatic gastro-intestinal stromal tumor responding to imatinib mesylate

This study evaluates the effectiveness of surgery in treating residual disease in patients with metastatic gastrointestinal stromal cell tumours who are responding to treatment with imatinib mesylate. Patients will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive surgery to remove residual disease and continue imatinib therapy. The other group will receive continued imatinib therapy only. Participants will be monitored twice in first 6 months, then every 3 months for the first 5 years, and then every 6 months until any progression of disease. Who is it for? -Patients with metastatic GIST. -Patients who have taken 6-12 months of imatinib mesylate. -Patients with either stable disease or tumour regression since the start of imatinib mesylate.