BRAF-mutations in non-small cell lung cancer

Objectives: Targeted therapies in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) now also include inhibitors against mutated BRAF. We present clinicopathological characteristics of nearly one thousand unselected NSCLC patients tested for the targetable V600E/K BRAF-mutation. Material and methods: NSCLC routinely tested for EGFR-mutations at Oslo University Hospital in the period February 2011-July 2013 were tested for V600E/K BRAF-mutations using a PCR-based method. Results: We found a BRAF-mutation frequency of 1.7% in the total cohort of 979 patients, and 23% among 646 adenocarcinomas. One of the BRAF-positive samples was also KRAS-mutated, and one had an ALK-translocation. None of 231 squamous cell carcinomas were BRAF-mutated. The proportion of never-smokers among BRAF-positives was high (29%). Conclusion: BRAF-mutation analysis should be part of the subtyping of non-squamous NSCLC. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.