Exploring the best treatment options for BRAF-mutant metastatic colon cancer.

Abstract	The BRAFV600E mutation is a well-accepted poor prognostic factor in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), as it confers Ras-independent stimulation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway involved in proliferation, migration, angiogenesis and the suppression of apoptosis. Analysis of the potential predictive value of BRAF for treatment efficacy is inherently confounded by this known prognostic impact. Currently, approved therapeutic strategies for patients with BRAF-mutant (BRAF-mt) mCRC are suboptimal, and uncertainty exists regarding how to best treat these patients. Based on the available evidence, it is currently not possible to confirm the superiority of any available treatment options cited in European Society for Medical Oncology and National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines (that is, doublet or triplet chemotherapy regimens plus anti-vascular endothelial growth factor or anti-epidermal growth factor receptors), even if triplet chemotherapy plus bevacizumab is the most accepted standard regimen. In this review, we highlight still-emerging strategies that could be deployed to combat BRAF-mt mCRC, including triplet chemotherapy plus available biologic agents, rationally derived combinations of targeted agents and immunotherapy. While it is clear that the needs of patients with BRAF-mt mCRC are currently unmet, we are cautiously optimistic that the recently renewed research interest in these patients will yield clinically relevant insights and therapeutic strategies.
Authors	Julien Taieb, Alexandra Lapeyre-Prost, Pierre Laurent Puig, Aziz Zaanan
Journal	British journal of cancer (Br J Cancer) Vol. 121 Issue 6 Pg. 434-442 (09 2019) ISSN: 1532-1827 [Electronic] England
PMID	31353365 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
Chemical References	BRAF protein, human Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
Topics	Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols (therapeutic use) Colonic Neoplasms (drug therapy, genetics, pathology) Humans Molecular Targeted Therapy Mutation Neoplasm Metastasis Prognosis Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf (genetics)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.

Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!