BRAF V600E Mutation of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Korean Patients.

mutational status in resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the Korean population is poorly understood. We explored (particularly V600E) mutational status among Korean patients with NSCLC. : This study included 378 patients with resected primary NSCLC who were enrolled from January 2015 to December 2017. The authors obtained formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks and performed peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-clamping polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detecting BRAF V600, real-time PCR for detecting V600E, and immunohistochemical analyses using the mutation-specific Ventana VE1 monoclonal antibody. For positive cases in any methods mentioned above, direct Sanger sequencing was additionally performed. The PNA-clamping method revealed the V600 mutation in 5 (1.3%) of the 378 patients. Among these five patients, real-time PCR, direct Sanger sequencing detected V600E mutations in three (0.8%) patients. Thus, two cases showed differences in their PNA-clamping and the others. Direct Sanger sequencing of PNA-clamping PCR product was performed for two cases showing negative results on direct Sanger sequencing; both contained mutations other than V600E. All patients harboring mutations had adenocarcinomas, and all patients with V600E mutation exhibited minor micropapillary components. : Despite the low incidence of the mutation among Korean patients with NSCLC, lung adenocarcinoma patients with micropapillary components should be prioritized in terms of mutation testing. Immunohistochemical staining using Ventana VE1 antibody may serve as a screening examination for V600E.