AUTHOR=Brunet Maxime , Khalifa Emmanuel , Italiano Antoine 

TITLE=Enabling Precision Medicine for Rare Head and Neck Tumors: The Example of BRAF/MEK Targeting in Patients With Metastatic Ameloblastoma

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Oncology

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/oncology/articles/10.3389/fonc.2019.01204

DOI=10.3389/fonc.2019.01204

ISSN=2234-943X

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Ameloblastoma is a rare head and neck tumor characterized by a high incidence of BRAF mutation providing a rationale for the use of BRAF inhibitors in patients with advanced disease.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> We report the case of a 26-year old female presenting with metastatic ameloblastoma. A molecular screening of the tumor revealed a BRAF V600E mutation.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> The patient started treatment with dabrafenib and trametinib and experienced complete response which is still ongoing 30 weeks after treatment onset.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> The complete response observed here illustrate the role of molecular profiling in complicate clinical situation of rare head and neck cancer and the potential benefit of BRAF-targeted therapy in ameloblastoma carrying <italic>BRAF</italic> V600E mutation.</p>