Abstract
The US Food and Drug Administration-approved BRAF inhibitors, vemurafenib and dabrafenib, have demonstrated superior efficacy in patients with BRAF-mutant melanomas but have limited efficacy in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer. Little is known at this time regarding BRAF inhibitors in thyroid cancer. Initial reports in patients with progressive, radioactive iodine-refractory BRAF-mutant papillary thyroid cancer suggest response rates of approximately 30-40%. In this review, we discuss BRAF inhibitors in the context of thyroid cancer, the toxicities associated with BRAF inhibitors, and the suggested management of those toxicities. The management of vemurafenib and dabrafenib toxicities is applicable across all tumor types and may serve as a practical guide to their use.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Review
MeSH terms
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Antineoplastic Agents / adverse effects
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Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / genetics
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / metabolism
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Colorectal Neoplasms / drug therapy
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Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
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Colorectal Neoplasms / metabolism
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Disease Management
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Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
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Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / diagnosis
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Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / therapy
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Humans
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Melanoma / drug therapy
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Melanoma / genetics
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Melanoma / metabolism
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Mutation
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Neoplasm Staging
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors / adverse effects
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / antagonists & inhibitors*
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism
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Thyroid Neoplasms / drug therapy*
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Thyroid Neoplasms / metabolism
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Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology
Substances
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Antineoplastic Agents
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Protein Kinase Inhibitors
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf