Glimmers of Hope—New Strategies for Overcoming Treatment Resistance in Patients with BRAF V600E-mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer is notoriously difficult to treat due to an aggressive tumor biology and resistance to chemotherapy. Single-agent BRAF inhibition has proven ineffective in this patient population. Approaches combining BRAF with epidermal growth factor receptor and mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase inhibition are effective in overcoming resistance to BRAF monotherapy, and this treatment combination provides a superior overall survival benefit compared with irinotecan-based chemotherapy. Encorafenib plus cetuximab is now a US Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment option for patients with BRAF V600E-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer after prior therapy. Ongoing clinical trials using immunotherapy and other targeted agents aim to further improve on these outcomes. We highlight the epidemiology and mutational landscape of BRAF-mutated colorectal cancer, as well as novel treatment options for patients with this subtype of metastatic colorectal cancer.Copyright © 2020, Touch Medical Media. All rights reserved.