title: BRAF inhibitors: experience in thyroid cancer and general review of toxicity.
abstract: The US Food and Drug Administration-approved BRAF inhibitors, vemurafenib and dabrafenib, have demonstrated superior efficacy in patients with BRAF-mutant melanomas but have limited efficacy in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer. Little is known at this time regarding BRAF inhibitors in thyroid cancer. Initial reports in patients with progressive, radioactive iodine-refractory BRAF-mutant papillary thyroid cancer suggest response rates of approximately 30-40%. In this review, we discuss BRAF inhibitors in the context of thyroid cancer, the toxicities associated with BRAF inhibitors, and the suggested management of those toxicities. The management of vemurafenib and dabrafenib toxicities is applicable across all tumor types and may serve as a practical guide to their use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine Neoplasia & Hormonal Disorders, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd. Unit 1461, Houston, TX, 77030, USA, mcabani@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cabanillas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Danysh
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dadu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kopetz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Falchook
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019468:Disease Management; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009154:Mutation; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf