Durable Disease Control with MEK Inhibition in a Patient with NRAS-mutated Atypical Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Atypical chronic myeloid leukemia (aCML) and chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL) are rare hematologic neoplasms characterized by leukocytosis and a hypercellular bone marrow. Although recurrent mutations in the colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) are frequently observed in patients with (CNL), the mutational landscape in (aCML) is less well-defined. In this report, we describe an 81-year-old male who was diagnosed with aCML. He presented with leukocytosis and anemia but no significant clinical symptoms. Standard laboratory studies revealed the absence of the Philadelphia chromosome. Massively parallel sequencing demonstrated no mutations in CSF3R, but the presence of a heterozygous NRAS-G12D variant (47% allele frequency). The patient was started on treatment with trametinib, an MEK1/2 inhibitor with Food and Drug Administration approval for malignant melanoma. Therapy with trametinib resulted in exceptional improvements in his blood counts and continued disease control with 14 months of follow-up. This case highlights the need for clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of MEK1/2 as a therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with NRAS-mutated aCML/CNL.