Prevalence and clinical significance of BRAF V600E in Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and prognostic role of v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF) V600E mutations in Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), and to explore the possibility of BRAF V600E mutation detection in plasma DNA. METHODS: Data from 190 patients with lung ADCs treated at the Peking University Cancer Hospital from July 2011 to March 2012 were collected. The amplification refractory mutation system was used for BRAF V600E testing and denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation detection. In BRAF V600E-mutant cases, paired plasma DNA was tested for mutation status of BRAF V600E and EGFR. The distribution and prognostic role of BRAF V600E mutations were analyzed using SPSS 13.0. RESULTS: Among 190 patients with advanced lung ADC, eight (4.2%) cases carried BRAF V600E mutations. V600E mutations presented more frequently in women than in men (6 of 96, 6.3% vs. P = 0.1). BRAF and EGFR mutations were concomitantly presented in three patients. Five of the eight patients with BRAF V600E mutations had matched plasma DNA samples and V600E mutations were found in three plasma samples. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of BRAF V600E mutations in Chinese patients with lung ADC is 4.2%. Circulating plasma DNA may be used for BRAF V600E mutation analysis in lung adenocarcinoma.