Hello and thanks for your enquiry,

You asked about melanoma and the BRAF gene. We have information about this on our website

I have put that information here for you to read easily.

Tests on the melanoma cells

If you have stage 3 melanoma, your doctor sends a sample of the cancer for genetic testing. They might also do this if you have stage 2 melanoma. The test looks for changes in the melanoma genes such as changes to the BRAF gene. Changes in this gene can make the melanoma cells grow.

About 40 to 50 out of every 100 people with skin melanoma (40 to 50%) have a change in the BRAF gene.

If you don’t have changes in the BRAF gene, then the melanoma is BRAF negative. This is also called BRAF wild type.

If you have changes in the BRAF gene, doctors describe the melanoma as BRAF positive. This is also called BRAF mutated.

BRAF negative melanoma skin cancer

Your doctor normally recommends a type of immunotherapy called a checkpoint inhibitor. These block a protein on the cancer cells that stop the immune system from attacking them.

You usually have either:

• pembrolizumab
• nivolumab

These are called PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) checkpoint inhibitors. You have them intravenously.

BRAF positive melanoma skin cancer

Doctors can use immunotherapy to treat BRAF positive melanoma skin cancer. You may have either:

• pembrolizumab
• nivolumab

Or you might have targeted cancer drugs instead of immunotherapy.

BRAF positive melanoma produces too much of the BRAF protein. This also affects other proteins such as MEK. Both of these can make the cancer grow. Targeted cancer drugs work by blocking the proteins. This slows or stops the growth of the cancer cells. They are called cancer growth blockers or inhibitors.

You usually have a BRAF protein inhibitor with a MEK protein inhibitor as they work better together. This is normally dabrafenib (Tafinlar) and trametinib (Mekinist). Dabrafenib is a BRAF inhibitor and trametinib is a MEK inhibitor.

You take these as tablets or capsules.

I hope this helps explain. Hopefully you will find out more soon what this might mean in terms of treatments.

Best wishes,

Vanda