Prognostic and Clinicopathologic Associations of Oncogenic BRAF in Metastatic Melanoma

PURPOSE: To assess the frequency and type of oncogenic BRAF mutations in metastatic melanoma and correlate BRAF status with clinicopathologic features and outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Consecutive BRAF-tested Australian patients with metastatic melanoma (n = 197) were observed prospectively. A comprehensive range of clinicopathologic variables were correlated with BRAF mutation status, and a survival analysis was conducted. RESULTS: Forty-eight percent of patients had a BRAF mutation; 70 patients (74%) had V600E, 19 (20%) had V600K, and six (6%) had other genotypes. Other than age at diagnosis of distant metastasis (median age, 56 v 63 years for BRAF-mutant v BRAF wild-type patients, respectively; P

• G
  GlaxoSmithKline
• AS
  American Society of Clinical Oncology
• WM
  Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research
• AC
  Australian Cancer Research Foundation
• CI
  Cancer Institute NSW

  Award: 05/TPG/1-01
• MR
  Medical Research Council
• NH
  National Health and Medical Research Council

  Award: 402761