Hur H, Park AR, Jee SB, Jung SE, Kim W, Jeon HM. Perforation of the colon by invading recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumors during sunitinib treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(39): 6096-6099 [PMID: 18932293 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.14.6096]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Hae Myung Jeon, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, 62 Youido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-713, South Korea. hmjeon@catholic.ac.kr
Article-Type of This Article
Case Report
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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 21, 2008; 14(39): 6096-6099 Published online Oct 21, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.6096
Perforation of the colon by invading recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumors during sunitinib treatment
Hoon Hur, Ae Ryoung Park, Sung Bae Jee, Seung Eun Jung, Wook Kim, Hae Myung Jeon
Hoon Hur, Sung Bae Jee, Wook Kim, Hae Myung Jeon, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 150-713, South Korea
Ae Ryoung Park, Department of Pharmacy, St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul 150-713, South Korea
Seung Eun Jung, Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 150-713, South Korea
Author contributions: Hur H wrote the paper; Jeon HM and Kim W designed this case report; Park AR and Jee SB contributed to the information of the drug; Jung SE contributed to the results of imaging studies.
Correspondence to: Hae Myung Jeon, MD, PhD, Department of Surgery, St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, 62 Youido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-713, South Korea. hmjeon@catholic.ac.kr
Telephone: +82-2-37791175 Fax: +82-2-7860802
Received: July 13, 2007 Revised: August 18, 2008 Accepted: August 25, 2008 Published online: October 21, 2008
Abstract
The molecular targets of sunitinib are receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), and this drug has also been known to exert blocking effects on the activation of KIT, which is similar to the mechanism of action of imatinib. Moreover, sunitinib has an additional anti-angiogenic effect through its inhibition of the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor activation. We report here a 70-year-old patient diagnosed with a recurrent gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), which invaded the transverse colon and led to a perforation during sunitinib treatment. A computed tomography scan and 3-dimensional reconstruction showed necrosis of the recurrent hepatic mass and perforation of the invaded transverse colon. After percutaneous drainage of the intraperitoneal abscess, antibiotic treatment and restricted diet, the condition of the patient improved. The present case is the first to report that sunitinib, which is administered to treat GIST resistant to imatinib, can cause unexpected colon perforation and subsequent peritonitis.
