title: BRAF-V600 mutations have no prognostic impact in stage IV melanoma patients treated with monochemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The impact of BRAF tumor mutations on the natural course of disease of melanoma patients is controversial.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the mutational status and overall survival of 215 patients receiving treatment with dacarbazine or temozolomide. All patients who started first-line treatment at our institution between 2000 and 2010 were included to prevent selection and bias due to thereafter arising therapeutic options.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient received BRAF- or MEK-inhibitors during follow-up. Survival was associated with the pattern of visceral involvement, the presence of brain metastases and the serum lactate dehydrogenase level (all p<0.001). The BRAF-V600 mutational status was not associated with survival and no differences in overall survival were detected according to age, gender or to the cytotoxic agent used for therapy. In Cox regression analysis the presence of brain metastases (hazard ratio 2.3; p<0.001) and an elevated serum LDH (hazard ratio 2.5; p<0.001) were the only factors, which independently predicted survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences in prognosis were observed according to the BRAF mutational status in patients with distant metastasis treated with monochemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Meckbach
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keim
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Eigentler
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pflugfelder
authors.affiliation: Skin Cancer Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büttner
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany ; Skin Cancer Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbe
authors.affiliation: Division of Dermatooncology, Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany ; German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany ; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weide
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D003606:Dacarbazine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D015996:Survival Rate; D000077204:Temozolomide
chemical_list: D018906:Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating; D003606:Dacarbazine; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; D000077204:Temozolomide