Non-Small Cell Lung Cancers (NSCLC) with Mutations in BRAF

BRAF mutations are one of the many oncogenic drivers described in lung adenocarcinomas and are seen in approximately 3% of cases. The most common BRAF mutation corresponds to a hotspot transversion mutation T1799A at exon 15, which causes a valine to glutamine substitution at residue 600. The other BRAF mutations, classified as non-V600E, are distributed in exons 15 and 11, the most common being G469A in exon 11 (39%). The BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib, specifically target the BRAFV600E mutant kinase. In this chapter the biology, molecular pathogenesis and clinical characteristics of BRAF mutated lung adenocarcinomas are described.