BRAF as a predictive marker of benefit from anti-EGFR therapies in metastatic colorectal cancer

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Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) having the V600E BRAF mutation is associated with poor prognosis. However, currently it is not proven that the presence of this mutation is an indicator of benefit to treatment with anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) monoclonal antibodies

A recent meta-analysis and systematic review of randomized controlled trials published until July 2014 (Roland, 2015) evaluated the effect of mutated BRAF benefit of treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies for mCRC.

This meta-analysis demonstrate that there is currently insufficient evidence to definitively state that patients with non-mutated BRAF mutated RAS genes and benefit differently to treatment with anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies to patients with RAS and BRAF native (non-mutated). Therefore, it is not justifiable exclusion of therapies based on anti-EGFR antibodies of mCRC patients presenting native mutated RAS and BRAF.