Dynamic and unpredictable changes in mutant allele fractions of BRAF and NRAS during visceral progression of cutaneous malignant melanoma.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Data indicate that primary cutaneous melanomas are characterized by clonal heterogeneity associated with oncogenic drivers. Less data are available on the clonal changes occurring during melanoma progression. We therefore wished to analyse these changes in skin melanomas in common sites of visceral metastases as compared to the primary tumor.

Methods

An autopsy cohort of 50 patients with BRAF- and NRAS-mutant cutaneous metastatic melanomas including 139 visceral metastases was analysed for mutant allele fractions (MAF), determined by pyrosequencing and corrected for tumor/normal ratio. MAF levels were also classified as high (> 40%), medium (15-40%) or low (< 15%).

Results

Contrary to NRAS mutant cases, in BRAF-mutant melanomas MAFs were found to be signifi

SUBMITTER: Doma V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6686548 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature