BRAF-inhibitors can exert control of disease in BRAF T599I mutated melanoma: a case report

BRAF signaling is involved in melanoma growth in more than half of metastatic patients. In the last few years, new drugs that block this pathway have significantly improved the outcomes of patients with metastatic melanoma. Ninety percent of BRAF mutations involve exon 15, and the most frequent, V600E, results from the amino acid change from valine (V) to glutamic acid (E). BRAFV600 inhibitor treatments have shown a notable overall response rate and improvements in progression-free and overall survival. Rare BRAF mutations of codon 599 have been also described in a few patients with papillary thyroid cancer and melanoma. Nowadays, no evidence is available in the literature, describing the role of target therapies as treatment in patients with this specific codon mutation. We describe the case of a young woman with metastatic melanoma with a particular BRAF mutation, T599I, who has benefited from treatment with a BRAF inhibitor, vemurafenib. Correspondence to Susanna Gallo, MD, Division of Medical Oncology, Medical Oncology, Candiolo Cancer Institute-FPO, IRCCS, Strada Provinciale 142 Km 3, 9 10160, Candiolo, Italy Tel: +39 011 993 3896/3951; fax: +39 011 993 3290; e-mail: susanna.gallo@ircc.it Received August 20, 2017 Accepted November 10, 2017 Copyright © 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

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