Background: To investigate the clinicopathological features and prognostic significance of the BRAFV600E mutation in Asian patients with colorectal cancer.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 1969 patients with colorectal cancer admitted to Taipei Veterans General Hospital for surgical treatment between 2000 and 2013. The measured endpoint was overall survival after surgery. The prognostic value of the BRAFV600E mutation was analyzed using the log-rank test and Cox regression analysis.
Results: The BRAFV600E mutation was detected in 106 (5.4%) patients and associated with female gender, abnormal cancer antigen (CA)19-9 at diagnosis, microsatellite status, right-sided primary tumors, mucinous histology, poor differentiation, and lymphovascular invasion. Metastatic patterns were more common in non-regional lymph node metastasis (20.8 vs. 7.4%, p = 0.06) and peritoneal seeding (41. vs. 21.2%, p = 0.04). Mutations were not prognostic in the overall survival of the entire study group but only in specific patients: age < 65, normal carcinoembryonic antigen at diagnosis, and stage IV disease.
Conclusion: The BRAFV600E mutation was associated with distinct clinicopathological features and metastatic patterns. The overall survival rate was lower in selected colorectal patients with the BRAFV600E mutation.
Keywords: BRAF mutation; Colorectal cancer; Metastatic pattern; Stage IV; Survival.