Treatment Options in BRAF-mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Treatment of BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer (CRC) traditionally represents an unmet need, mainly due to its unfavourable prognostic outlook, limited options for targeted treatment and scarce benefit from epithelial growth-factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. Recently, the development BRAF V600E inhibitors has expanded therapeutic armamentarium, although exclusive targeting proved be unsuccessful strategy reactivation mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway through multiple escape mechanisms. Combination strategies that exploit simultaneous inhibition BRAF, EGFR and/or protein/extracellular signal-regulated have achieved greater success, with BEACON CRC trial providing first evidence improvement in survival a chemotherapy-free approach pre-treated patients CRC, leading regulatory approval combination encorafenib cetuximab. Subsequent research efforts attempt build on these foundations, exploring maintenance conceivably moving towards line therapy soon, as well laying foundation use liquid biopsy guidance tool precision oncology approach.