Consistent absence of BRAF mutations in salivary gland carcinomas

Abstract

<strong>Introduction:</strong> Malignant salivary gland tumors are rare entities. Despite advances in surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, the rate of the mortality and five-year survival has not been improved markedly over the last few decades. The activation of EGFR- RAS-RAF signaling pathway contributes to the initiation and progression of many human cancers, promising a key pathway<br /> for therapeutic molecules. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate BRAF mutations in salivary gland carcinomas. <strong>Methods:</strong> We designed PCR- RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction -Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism) and screened 50 salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) including mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) and polymorphous low grade adenocarcinoma (PLGA) for the BRAF V600E mutation. <strong>Results:</strong> PCR-RFLP analyses demonstrated no mutation in BRAF exon 15 for SGC samples at position V600, which is the most commonly mutated site for BRAF in human cancer.<strong> Conclusions:</strong> According to our results SGCs didn't acquire BRAF mutations that result in a constitutive activation of the signaling cascade downstream of EGFR, hence SGCs can be a good candidate for anti EGFR therapies.