Dr. Kudchadkar on BRAF and MEK Inhibitors in Melanoma

Ragini Kudchadkar, MD, assistant professor, medical oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses the benefits of combining BRAF and MEK inhibitors when treating melanoma.

Early data demonstrated that the combination of BRAF and MEK inhibitors improve outcomes compared with single agents in patients with melanoma, Kudchadkar says.

If only one pathway is blocked, Kudchadkar says, the cancer cell figures out how to overcome the blockage with time. By combining the agents, the mechanism of resistance from the cancer cell is blocked. This allows patients to stay on therapy longer and decreases skin toxicities that are seen in single agent use.

Kudchadkar believes that it is likely that the combination will become the next standard of care.