Is it better to be BRAF positive or negative?

Is it better to be BRAF positive or negative?

We have demonstrated that BRAF positive patients receiving targeted treatment have significantly better survival than their BRAF negative counterparts. We were able to evidence the efficacy of SRS in the local treatment of brain metastases irrespective of BRAF status.

What percentage of melanoma is BRAF positive?

It is estimated that BRAF mutation is present in approximately 50-60% of cutaneous melanomas.

Is BRAF melanoma aggressive?

BRAF is a gene that tells your cells how to grow. A BRAF mutation is a change in a BRAF gene. That change in the gene can lead to an alteration in a protein that regulates cell growth that could allow the melanoma to grow more aggressively.

How common is BRAF mutation in melanoma?

Identification of the BRAF V600 mutation and development of BRAF targeting drugs have radically changed clinical practice and outcomes of advanced or metastatic melanoma. Activating BRAF mutation has been estimated to occur in approximately 50% of cases of cutaneous melanoma.

How long does BRAF treatment last?

In the BRAF-mutated subgroup, a 5-year landmark OS and PFS rate of 46% and 22%, respectively, was observed. The median OS was 45.5 months (95% CI 26.4–not reached) and the median PFS was 5.6 months (95% CI 2.8–9.5). A possible explanation for the better median OS could be due to subsequent therapies, e.g. cTT.

Can BRAF mutation be cured?

BRAF Inhibitors As such, they do not (usually) “cure” a cancer, but can sometimes control the growth of a cancer for a significant period of time. BRAF inhibitors are most often used along with medications that inhibit the growth of a tumor at other points in the signaling pathway (such as MEK inhibitors).

How effective is immunotherapy for melanoma?

In a small study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, scientists reported a 3-year overall survival rate of 63 percent among 94 patients treated with this combination of drugs. All of the patients had stage 3 or stage 4 melanoma that couldn’t be removed with surgery.

How effective is Immunotherapy for melanoma?

What is an appropriate first line treatment option for BRAF negative metastatic melanoma?

Combination immunotherapy with a programmed death (PD)-1 inhibitor, such as nivolumab or pembrolizumab, plus the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 inhibitor ipilimumab is now considered the best choice for first-line systemic therapy for BRAF-negative advanced melanoma.

How is BRAF mutation treated?

BRAF Inhibitors for Metastatic Melanoma BRAF inhibitors are drugs that can shrink or slow the growth of metastatic melanoma in people whose tumors have a BRAF mutation. BRAF inhibitors include vemurafenib (Zelboraf®), dabrafenib (Tafinlar®), and encorafenib (Braftovi®).