BRAF mutation predicts for poor outcomes after metastasectomy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

Cancer. 2014 Aug 1;120(15):2316-24. doi: 10.1002/cncr.28729. Epub 2014 Apr 15.

Abstract

Background: BRAF mutations occur in 5% to 11% of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and have been associated with poor prognosis. The current study was undertaken to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics, PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit alpha) mutation frequency, and outcomes after metastasectomy in patients with BRAF-mutant mCRC.

Methods: Data from 1941 consecutive patients with mCRC who underwent KRAS/BRAF mutation testing between 2009 and 2012 at a single institution were identified to identify BRAF-mutant mCRC cases (92 cases). BRAF wild-type mCRC cases from 2011 (423 cases) served as a control group.

Results: BRAF-mutated mCRC was found to be significantly associated with older age at diagnosis, female sex, right-sided location, poorly differentiated morphology, and mucinous histology compared with wild-type cases. BRAF-mutant cases more frequently progressed from stage III disease (32% vs 17%; P = .003) and among those patients with stage III disease, T4 disease was more common (48% vs 27%; P = .05). PIK3CA was found to be co-mutated in 5% of BRAF-mutant tumors versus 17% of KRAS-mutant tumors (P < .01) and 4% of BRAF/KRAS wild-type cases. Patients with BRAF-mutated mCRC presented more frequently with peritoneal involvement (26% vs 14%; P < 0.01) and less frequently with liver-limited metastases (41% vs 63%; P < .01). Patients with BRAF-mutated mCRC were less likely to undergo metastasectomy (41% vs 26% at 2 years from diagnosis of metastatic disease; P < .01) and were found to have lower overall survival (P < .01) after metastasectomy.

Conclusions: BRAF-mutant mCRC is associated with worse clinical outcome. Patients with BRAF-mutant tumors more commonly develop peritoneal metastases, less frequently present with disease limited to the liver, and have shorter survival after metastasectomy compared with patients with BRAF wild-type tumors.

Keywords: 5-bisphosphate 3-kinase; BRAF; PIK3CA (phosphatidylinositol-4; catalytic subunit alpha); colorectal cancer; liver resection; prognosis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / genetics
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Metastasectomy
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / genetics
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism
  • Prognosis
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / genetics*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / metabolism
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • Class I Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
  • PIK3CA protein, human
  • BRAF protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf