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BRAF Mutations in Non-Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Current Relevance and Future Implications

  • Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancers (AB Benson III and A de Gramont, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

BRAF V600E-mutated colorectal cancer (CRC) is a distinct entity that accounts for less than 10 % of all CRC patients and is associated with unique clinical and pathologic features. This biomarker also confers a poor prognostic outcome across all stages of CRC relative to wild-type counterparts. Currently, the landscape of effective therapies, both in terms of adjuvant treatment and in the metastatic setting, remains limited. This review will detail the role of the BRAF V600E mutation as a prognostic biomarker in the management of patients with non-metastatic and metastatic CRC, and highlight recent advances in targeted therapies for this subset of CRC, which may represent the most significant progress made thus far toward improving survival in these patients. The role of mismatch repair status and its relationship with the BRAF V600E mutation in CRC will also be examined.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this manuscript was provided by CA016672 (Cancer Center Grant for Statistical Support) and CA187238 (SK).

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Conflict of Interest

Van Morris declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Wei Qiao declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Scott Kopetz has received research funding through grants from GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech, Amgen, Roche, Sysmex Corporation, Agendia, Sanofi, Biocartis, and Guardant Health, and has received compensation from GlaxoSmithKline, Genentech, Taiho, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roche, Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Sysmex Corporation, Bayer, Agendia, Sanofi, and Array BioPharma for service as a consultant.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, The University of Texas – MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Van Morris & Scott Kopetz

  2. Departments of Biostatistics, The University of Texas – MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1400 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Wei Qiao

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  1. Van Morris
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  2. Wei Qiao
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Correspondence to Scott Kopetz.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancers.

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Morris, V., Qiao, W. & Kopetz, S. BRAF Mutations in Non-Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Current Relevance and Future Implications. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 11, 303–310 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-015-0295-0

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