Treatment options in BRAF-mutant metastatic colorectal cancer.

B-type Raf kinase (BRAF) mutations occur in approximately 10% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancers (mCRC). Tumors harboring this mutation have a unique molecular profile and clinical phenotype. Response rate to systemic chemotherapy is poor and associated with shorter survival rate. Although BRAF inhibition dramatically changed treatment for melanoma patients, similar clinical responses were not observed in BRAF-mutant CRC, proposing a distinct mechanism of carcinogenesis. The aggressive biology of BRAF-mutated mCRC has underlined the importance of developing new therapeutic agents to improve outcomes in these patients. Despite numerous attempts, chemotherapy regimens are limited for this population. Reactivation of mitogen activated protein kinase pathway may explain the resistance to monotherapy, thus different combinations to target the pathway at different levels have been studied. This article will describe most suitable treatment options for CRC patients with BRAF mutation and discuss new emerging agents.