Washington, April 13 (ANI): Gleevec, a pill developed in conjunction with the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute, has been found to be effective in dramatically reducing the risk of recurrence of a cancer.

The efficacy of imatinib mesylate (Gleevec) in preventing a recurrence of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) was observed during a placebo-controlled clinical trial at the National Institutes of Health.

Led by the American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, the trial showed that patients in primary stage of the disease were significantly less likely to have a recurrence of their cancer when they were administered Gleevec, as compared to participants who did not receive it.

"This is a major breakthrough that will change the way this type of cancer is treated," said Dr. Charles Blanke, leader of the Solid Tumors Program at the OHSU Cancer Institute and professor of medicine.

The researchers noted that approximately 97 per cent of patients who received Gleevec one year after surgery were alive without a recurrence of their cancer, compared to approximately 83 per cent participants who received one year of a placebo. This indicates a 70 per cent reduction in risk of occurrence.

It was also found that Gleevec was well tolerated by most patients in the study, and it only had mild side effects like nausea, diarrhea, and swelling.

The researchers say that Gleevec works by blocking cellular communication to prevent tumor growth.

The GIST strikes any of the organs in the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract or its lining. These tumors are prone to spread to other organs and, once spread, they often are unresponsive to chemotherapy or radiation, and invariably used to be fatal.

Researchers at OHSU Cancer Institute have also found that Gleevec benefits 90 per cent of GIST patients with metastatic disease.

In addition to GIST, Gleevec is also being used as a potential therapy for certain types of blood and skin cancers. (ANI)