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Trametinib (MEK) use in NRAS
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Trametinib (MEK) use in NRAS

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Trametinib (MEK) use in NRAS

  • Post
    • June 3, 2018 at 4:08 pm
    Sam33
    Participant

      Hello everyone.

      I was using combination (Yervoy & Opdivo- reverse dose) and I had my 3rd dose, a few days ago. I had bilateral lungs and 2 bone metastases. And i will have my petCT next week to understand the effectiveness of the combination. I am praying and hoping to have good results.

      My oncologist in MDA told me to add Trametinib if there is a progression with the combination drugs, although I am NRAS positive. The local one thinks, there will be no benefit to add Trametinib. I am very confused. Has any NRAS patient used Trametinib and combination together? Does anyone know the sucess rate of Trametinib in NRAS patients? Any research, experiences or thoughts are welcomed.

      Best,

      Sam

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    • Replies
        • June 4, 2018 at 1:41 am
        DoubleTT
        Participant
          I’d like to follow your responses as I am NRAS as well. Hope someone has a response your inquiry. TRACEY
            • June 5, 2018 at 10:14 pm
            Mark_DC
            Participant

              Hi Sam and Tracey

              I dont really have an answer but I do know one of my oncology team about one yewr ago was considering adding a MEK inhibitor, I think to Keytruda, in case of progression. They were brainstorming options. I dont have BRAF but am NRAS. i dont know why they were considering this, they didnt mention an NRAS link but maybe this was the reason and there was some evidence behind this.

              In the end we decided to go for surgery then changed plan and added TVEC instead, its too early to say yet but it might be working. i never understood why a MEK inhibitor was being considered for a non BRAF person, maybe someone else can help us.

              Best wishes Mark

            • June 19, 2018 at 2:02 pm
            cancersnewnormal
            Participant

              I am not NRAS positive, nor am I BRAF positive, but I did successfully take MEK for a few months back in 2014. It was part of a research project for many different cancer types. What sometimes occurs is a BRAF "gene fusion". So although one is not technically BRAF positive, their mutation may fall somewhere in the pathway, making the mutation behave and respond similarly to BRAF positive types.

              Here is a link to the research: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.29825 

              I know there is ongoing research that is far more current, as just this morning, I stumbled over an abstract from this year's ASCO conference, regarding this same theory. It was a very short abstract… didn't contain a whole heck of a lot of detailed info… but it is good to know the research is ongoing, because the MEK worked BEAUTIFULLY in me, until I was able to get on Keytruda. 

              Curious who the doc at MDA was that suggested this to you, as the doc who got me involved with this research has since moved to MDA. 🙂

              • June 20, 2018 at 1:00 pm
              cancersnewnormal
              Participant

                This just dropped into my email this morning from the European Journal of Cancer:

                MEK inhibition may increase survival of NRAS-mutated melanoma patients treated with checkpoint blockade: Results of a retrospective multicentre analysis of 364 patients —– https://www.ejcancer.com/article/S0959-8049(18)30811-6/fulltext?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email

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