What has NICE said?
Imatinib (Glivec) is recommended as a possible treatment for up to 3 years, for people who had gastrointestinal stromal tumours that were removed by surgery, when there is a high risk that the tumour may come back.
What does this mean for me?
If you had gastrointestinal stromal tumours that were removed during surgery but there is a high chance of them coming back, and your doctor thinks that imatinib is the right treatment, you should be able to have the treatment on the NHS.
Imatinib for use as an adjuvant treatment should be available on the NHS within 3 months of the guidance being issued.
If you are not eligible for treatment as described above, you should be able to continue taking imatinib until you and your doctor decide it is the right time to stop.