Constitutive activation of the Ras-Raf signaling pathway in metastatic melanoma is associated with poor prognosis.

Abstract

We demonstrate a high - albeit lower than initially anticipated - frequency of activating BRaf mutations in melanoma in the largest series of directly analyzed tumors reported to date. Notably, the clinical course of patients harboring activating BRaf mutations in metastatic melanoma was significantly affected by the presence of a constitutive BRaf activation in these.