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Population-based analysis of the prevalence of BRAF mutation in patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma and its significance as a prognostic factor Volume 31, issue 5, September-October 2021

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Authors
1 Medical Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
2 Genetic Descriptive, Genetic and Prevention Epidemiology Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Girona (IDIBGI), Spain
3 School of Medicine, University of Girona (UdG), Spain
4 Epidemiology Unit and Girona Cancer Registry, Oncology Coordination Plan Department of Health Government of Catalonia, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain
5 School of Nursery, University of Girona (UdG), Spain
6 Tumour Registry of University Hospital Josep Trueta, Catalan Institute of Oncology and Catalan Institute of Health, Girona, Spain
7 Pathology Department Hospital Josep Trueta, Catalan Institute of Health, Girona, Spain
8 Dermatology Department, Hospital Josep Trueta, Catalan Institute of Health, Girona, Spain
9 Pathology Department, Girona Clinic, Spain
10 Pathology Department, Corporació de Salut del Maresme La Selva, Hospital Sant Jaume de Calella, Spain
11 Pathology Department, Serveis de Salut Integrats Baix Empordà, Palamos Hospital, Spain
12 Pathology Department, Fundació Salut Emporda, Figueres Hospital, Spain
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Background

The prevalence of BRAF mutation has been reported in between 38% and 48% of melanoma patients, based on mainly Stage III or metastatic melanoma, however, information based on population-based studies is scarce.

Objectives

We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study to determine the prevalence of the BRAF mutation in patients diagnosed with in situ and infiltrating cutaneous malignant melanoma in the province of Girona between 2009 and 2011.

Materials & Methods

Using the database of the Girona Cancer Registry, we performed BRAF mutation analysis based on paraffin-embedded tissue. This data was then correlated with other known clinical and histological prognostic factors for survival.

Results

We found 286 incident cases of cutaneous melanoma in the Girona Cancer Registry database. Excluding missing cases, BRAF-mutated patients constituted 38.9% of “in situ” melanoma cases and 53.8% of invasive melanoma cases. Five-year relative survival was not statistically different between BRAF-mutated patients (93.6%; 95% CI: 87.1-100.5) and non-mutated patients (84.3%, 95% CI: 75.3-94.8). Only stage was significant as a prognostic factor for survival based on multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

From our population-based study, we conclude that BRAF mutation is not an independent prognostic factor for melanoma survival.