SSGXXII: Three versus five years of adjuvant imatinib as treatment of patients with operable gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) with a high risk for recurrence: A randomised phase III multicentre study by the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group

Despite the three years of imatinib as the standard duration of adjuvant therapy for patients with high-risk GIST following resection, many patients are still at a high risk of GIST recurrence and may benefit from further adjuvant imatinib therapy. The most important factors that predict the risk of GIST recurrence in a patient population treated with 3 years of adjuvant Imatinib are tumour mitotic count and GIST located at a non- gastric site. Extending the treatment of imatinib by a further 2 years may reduce their risk of GIST recurrence.

SSGXXII aims to determine if a further 2 years of adjuvant Imatinib may improve recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients who are at high risk of GIST recurrence even after completion of the standard duration of 3 years of adjuvant Imatinib.