A drug used to treat gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) that have not responded to treatment with imatinib mesylate (Gleevec). Sunitinib malate is also used to treat advanced kidney cancer and is being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer. It is a type of tyrosine kinase inhibitor, a type of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitor, and a type of angiogenesis inhibitor. Also called SU011248, SU11248, sunitinib, and Sutent.