Finding the right balance of BRAF inhibition in melanoma

Cancer Discov. 2014 May;4(5):510-2. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-14-0307.

Abstract

Paradoxical activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway can cause secondary malignancies in patients treated with inhibitors of BRAF(V600) proteins. Characterization of a patient with concurrent BRAF-mutant melanoma and NRAS-mutant leukemia treated intermittently with combined BRAF and MEK inhibition provides new insights into the potential clinical and molecular effects of this therapeutic strategy.

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / drug therapy*
  • Leukemia / genetics
  • Leukemia / pathology
  • Melanoma / drug therapy*
  • Melanoma / genetics
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Melanoma / secondary
  • Membrane Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Mutation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Membrane Proteins
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
  • GTP Phosphohydrolases
  • NRAS protein, human