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Narrative review: BRAF opens the door for therapeutic advances in melanoma

Keith T Flaherty1

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, 02114, USA. kflaherty@partners.org

Annals of Internal Medicine
|November 3, 2010
PubMed

Insights

BRAF inhibitors show high response rates in metastatic melanoma patients, offering palliative care. However, responses are not durable, with relapse occurring around 9 months.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Metastatic melanoma presents a poor prognosis with limited therapeutic options.
  • A mutation in the BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) gene is identified in approximately 50% of metastatic melanoma patients.
  • BRAF is a key component of intracellular signaling cascades implicated in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of current metastatic melanoma treatments.
  • To describe the pathophysiology behind BRAF inhibitor therapies.
  • To summarize findings from early-phase clinical trials of BRAF inhibitors.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current treatment options for metastatic melanoma.
  • Description of the pathophysiology of BRAF-targeted therapies.
  • Summary of Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical study results for BRAF inhibitors.

Main Results:

  • BRAF inhibitor therapy demonstrated objective response rates of 70%–80% in patients with metastatic melanoma.
  • Initial responses to BRAF inhibitors were not sustained.
  • Median time to relapse was approximately 9 months.

Conclusions:

  • BRAF inhibitors represent a valuable palliative therapy for metastatic melanoma.
  • Clinicians should monitor ongoing Phase 3 trials and combination therapy studies involving BRAF inhibitors.

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