Melanoma: BRAFi Rechallenge

Abstract

Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer. Half of melanoma cases are characterized by the mutation BRAF V600. The case presented concerns a 41-year-old patient with locally advanced melanoma, being positive in mutation BRAF V600. The patient underwent surgery and received additional targeted therapy as part of a clinical study. In subsequent disease progression, immunotherapy was used. When the disease progressed again while the patient was in a good performance status, targeted therapy was administered again, and a good response was noted, making the patient reach a statistically significant overall survival, exceeding four years. Targeted therapy has proven to be an important tool in the treatment of melanoma. The use of BRAFi targeted therapy does not exclude the option of readministration at subsequent disease progression (BRAFi rechallenge). Preclinical models suggest that the resistance mechanism of cancer cells to BRAFi therapy bends, as these cell clones lose their evolutionary advantage after stopping BRAFi. Cell clones sensitive to BRAFi may then outcompete, making the treatment effective again. Therapeutical dilemmas in the management of patients with locally advanced melanoma that progresses to metastatic cancer are discussed.

Keywords

• targeted therapy
• BRAFi rechallenge
• metastatic melanoma
• BRAF V600 mutation
• BRAF inhibitor