BRAFV600E mutation analysis in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in daily clinical practice: correlations with clinical characteristics, and its impact on patients' outcome.

BACKGROUND

To prospectively evaluate the usefulness of the BRAFV600E mutation detection in daily clinical practice in patients with metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

504 mCRC patients treated with systemic chemotherapy ± biologics were analyzed.

RESULTS

A statistically significant higher incidence of the BRAF mutation was observed in patients with ECOG-PS 2 (p=0.001), multiple metastatic sites (p=0.002),> 65 years old (p=0.004), primary tumors located in the colon (p<0.001), high-grade tumors (p=0.001) and in those with mucinous features (p=0.037). Patients with BRAFV600E mutated tumors had a statistically significantly reduced progression-free survival (PFS) compared to wild-type (wt) ones (4.1 and 11.6 months, respectively; p<0.001) and overall survival (OS) (14.0 vs. 34.6 months, respectively; p<0.001). In the multivariate analysis the BRAFV600E mutation emerged as an independent factor associated with reduced PFS (HR: 4.1, 95% CI 2.7-6.2; p<0.001) and OS (HR: 5.9, 95% CI 3.7-9.5; p<0.001). Among the 273 patients treated with salvage cetuximab or panitumumab, the BRAFV600E mutation was correlated with reduced PFS (2.2 vs. 6.0 months; p<0.0001) and OS (4.3 vs. 17.4 months; p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of BRAFV600E-mutation in mCRC characterizes a subgroup of patients with distinct biologic, clinical and pathological features and is associated with very poor patients' prognosis.