Hi llouno and thank you for posting,

Yes, it is very possible that people with the BRAF gene after treatment can go into remission (there are no signs of cancer in the body).

Around 40-50% of people with skin cancer will have the BRAF mutation. This genetic change makes the melanoma cells produce too much BRAF protein, which can make melanoma cells grow. Knowing if someone has the BRAF mutation helps the doctors to plan treatment, and decide whether or not certain targeted drugs that target the protein can be given. The treatment aims to kill any melanoma cells and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.

I hope this helps a little. You may have seen this already, we have information about melanoma and how it is treated on our website.

Take care

Jemma

Morning Jemma

Thank you for your response. Does this also apply to colorectal tumours with MSS?

Hello and thanks for posting,

I assume that you have been affected by cancer, or someone close to you has. My colleague responded on the presumption that this was referring to melanoma, as we had only brief information provided in your first enquiry, and that is a more common enquiry. I understand now that you are asking about this in relation to colorectal cancer.

You asked about MSS. This stands for Microsatellite stable.

Approximately 80-85% of colorectal cancer patients are not MSI-H/MMR deficient and are instead classified as MSS.

If a cell's DNA is unstable, particles called microsatellites are produced. Colorectal cancers are often referred to as having an “MSI status,” meaning they are described as either MSI or MSS. They cannot be both. An MSS (microsatellite stability) result indicates that the cells DNA are considered stable. 

Chemotherapy is used as the main treatment if needed before/after bowel cancer surgery, as it is an effective treatment in this situation. There are situations where immunotherapy drugs may be used.

There is a far better explanation than I can provide, on this American Colorectal cancer website.

These tumour marker details, alongside others, such as BRAF mutation, provide your consultant with information about the characteristics of your cancer's biology. It informs them of the likelihood of recurrence, and what treatment is most appropriate to use. It is used alongside information about the overall staging of the cancer and also the cancer cell type. Unfortunately, as nurses, we can't be more specific than this in our reply. Your consultant is the person best placed to put this all into context for you (if this is relating to you or someone you know) and your overall situation.

I hope this helps,

Best wishes,

Vanda