BRAF negative

Right now, as far as I know, it's …honestly not a bad thing to be BRAF negative. As you said, it limits treatment options a little, but those treatments wouldn't do a BRAF negative patient any good (and might cause some harm). I'm BRAF negative and my oncologist hasn't adjusted my recurrence chance or told me it was anything to worry about; it just meant I couldn't get into a clinical trial that required BRAF positive patients.

Really what they're saying when they say someone is "BRAF positive" is that the patient has a mutated BRAF gene, which is sending out signals saying "Grow, cells! Multiply! Be fruitful and also cancerous!" So the only real negative to being BRAF negative is that the new, much-spoken-of treatments aren't going to be able to help you. It's sort of like "I'm full right now, so I don't really need that pizza, as delicious as it sounds."

Right now, as far as I know, it's …honestly not a bad thing to be BRAF negative. As you said, it limits treatment options a little, but those treatments wouldn't do a BRAF negative patient any good (and might cause some harm). I'm BRAF negative and my oncologist hasn't adjusted my recurrence chance or told me it was anything to worry about; it just meant I couldn't get into a clinical trial that required BRAF positive patients.

Really what they're saying when they say someone is "BRAF positive" is that the patient has a mutated BRAF gene, which is sending out signals saying "Grow, cells! Multiply! Be fruitful and also cancerous!" So the only real negative to being BRAF negative is that the new, much-spoken-of treatments aren't going to be able to help you. It's sort of like "I'm full right now, so I don't really need that pizza, as delicious as it sounds."

Right now, as far as I know, it's …honestly not a bad thing to be BRAF negative. As you said, it limits treatment options a little, but those treatments wouldn't do a BRAF negative patient any good (and might cause some harm). I'm BRAF negative and my oncologist hasn't adjusted my recurrence chance or told me it was anything to worry about; it just meant I couldn't get into a clinical trial that required BRAF positive patients.

Really what they're saying when they say someone is "BRAF positive" is that the patient has a mutated BRAF gene, which is sending out signals saying "Grow, cells! Multiply! Be fruitful and also cancerous!" So the only real negative to being BRAF negative is that the new, much-spoken-of treatments aren't going to be able to help you. It's sort of like "I'm full right now, so I don't really need that pizza, as delicious as it sounds."

Hi Anon,

Being BRAF positive or negative does not change your chance of recurrence.  However, it does mean that the category of treatments that utilize BRAF inhibitors would not help you.  Here is a post I created that explains what BRAF is and how it can contribute to about 50% of melanoma patients:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2014/02/braf-inhibitors-for-melanoma-dabrafenib.html

Hope that helps explain things a little.  Yours, Celeste

Hi Anon,

Being BRAF positive or negative does not change your chance of recurrence.  However, it does mean that the category of treatments that utilize BRAF inhibitors would not help you.  Here is a post I created that explains what BRAF is and how it can contribute to about 50% of melanoma patients:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2014/02/braf-inhibitors-for-melanoma-dabrafenib.html

Hope that helps explain things a little.  Yours, Celeste

Hi Anon,

Being BRAF positive or negative does not change your chance of recurrence.  However, it does mean that the category of treatments that utilize BRAF inhibitors would not help you.  Here is a post I created that explains what BRAF is and how it can contribute to about 50% of melanoma patients:

http://chaoticallypreciselifeloveandmelanoma.blogspot.com/2014/02/braf-inhibitors-for-melanoma-dabrafenib.html

Hope that helps explain things a little.  Yours, Celeste

One other good thing…this study showed that patients responded EQUALLY well to these drug no matter if they were BRAF positive or not.

Survival, response duration, and activity by BRAF mutation status of nivolumab (anti-PD1, BMS-936588) and ipilimumab concurrent therapy in advanced melanoma
Abstract LBA9003

Sznol, Kluger, Kirkwood, Wolchok, et al

53 melanoma patients were enrolled from 2009-2012 and were given ipi and nivo concurrently, then followed by nivo alone (with a variety of dosing patterns). Patients with and without BRAF had similar response.

WIshing you my best…c

One other good thing…this study showed that patients responded EQUALLY well to these drug no matter if they were BRAF positive or not.

Survival, response duration, and activity by BRAF mutation status of nivolumab (anti-PD1, BMS-936588) and ipilimumab concurrent therapy in advanced melanoma
Abstract LBA9003

Sznol, Kluger, Kirkwood, Wolchok, et al

53 melanoma patients were enrolled from 2009-2012 and were given ipi and nivo concurrently, then followed by nivo alone (with a variety of dosing patterns). Patients with and without BRAF had similar response.

WIshing you my best…c

One other good thing…this study showed that patients responded EQUALLY well to these drug no matter if they were BRAF positive or not.

Survival, response duration, and activity by BRAF mutation status of nivolumab (anti-PD1, BMS-936588) and ipilimumab concurrent therapy in advanced melanoma
Abstract LBA9003

Sznol, Kluger, Kirkwood, Wolchok, et al

53 melanoma patients were enrolled from 2009-2012 and were given ipi and nivo concurrently, then followed by nivo alone (with a variety of dosing patterns). Patients with and without BRAF had similar response.

WIshing you my best…c