Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer...BRAF V600E MUTATION POSITIVE...Single-agent Vemurafenib or dabrafenib are treatment options if the combination of dabrafenib + trametinib is not tolerated.

TAFINLAR is a kinase inhibitor indicated as a single agent for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAF V600E mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test.

...Presence of a BRAF V600E mutation in lung cancer tissue.

Of 30 V600E-mutated patients who received anti-BRAF therapy during the course of disease, the median PFS of vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and dabrafenib plus trametinib was 7.8 months, 5.8 months and 6.0 months, respectively (P = 0.970)….Our data demonstrated the clinical benefit of anti-BRAF targeted therapy in Chinese NSCLC patients harboring BRAF-V600E mutation.

...increased response rates, longer PFS, and promising survival with acceptable toxicity makes this a reasonable treatment option for patients with BRAF V600E NSCLC....In conclusion, this study is, to our knowledge, the first trial of BRAF inhibition to focus on BRAF V600E–mutant NSCLC. Dabrafenib induced durable clinical responses in a significant number of patients and had an acceptable safety profile.

Identification of the driver BRAF mutation prompted use of a targeted therapy that led to a major objective response and substantial, though transient, 8-month symptomatic improvement. The second biopsy defined a probable mechanism of acquired resistance of particular relevance to lung cancer.