BRAF mutations are found in approximately 40-60% of cutaneous melanomas, most commonly the V600E substitution, with V600K as the second most common.
The development of combination BRAF and MEK inhibitors — such as dabrafenib plus trametinib, vemurafenib plus cobimetinib, and encorafenib plus binimetinib — represented a major advance. These combinations significantly improved response rates, progression-free survival, and overall survival compared with BRAF inhibitor monotherapy.
Combined BRAF/MEK inhibition is now the standard of care for patients with BRAF V600-mutant unresectable or metastatic melanoma, and is also being explored in earlier disease settings.