[Comment] Changing the standard of care for treating melanoma brain metastases

Melanoma metastasis to the CNS is a devastating event. Until recently, treatment resulted in responses only anecdotally,1,2 and median survival generally ranged 3 –5 months.3 However, the COMBI-MB trial4 showed that in patients with BRAFV600E-mutated brain metastases, 44 (58%; 95% CI 46–69) of 76 patients responded to dabrafenib and trametinib combination treatment, although the median time to progression was only 5·6 months (95% CI 5·3–7·4). The res ults of COMBI-MB trial4 confirmed that for melanomas driven by an activating BRAF mutation, inhibition of the ERK pathway results in dramatic tumour shrinkage regardless of the site of metastasis.
Source: The Lancet Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Comment Source Type: research