Development of sunitinib in the treatment of imatinib-resistant gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Sunitinib malate (SU11248 ,Sutent) is an orally available small-molecule multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has potent anti-angiogenic and antitumour activities.In 2006 sunitinib was approved by FDA for imatinib intolerant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) patients or imatinib resistant GIST patients.This article review the molecular-based mechanism,the mechanism of resistance,the biomarker,the clinical trials and the adverse effects of sunitinib in the treatment of imatinib-resistant GIST. Key words: Sunitinib; Gastrointestinal stromal tumors; Resistance