Complete response of brainstem metastasis in BRAF-mutated melanoma without stereotactic radiosurgery after initiation of encorafenib and binimetinib.

Metastatic melanoma is often accompanied by the development of brain metastases, at presentation or during the course of therapy. Local therapies such as surgery and radiation have been considered standard treatments for intracranial disease. However, the emergence of systemic therapies has been changing the treatment paradigm for the management of brain metastases. In patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma, combined BRAF and MEK inhibition has been found to elicit significant clinical responses. Patients who develop resistance to MAP kinase (MAPK) targeted therapy can achieve significant responses upon rechallenge. In this case, a 68-year-old woman with metastatic melanoma who had received multiple treatment courses including combination immunotherapy and combination MAPK-targeted therapy presented with a brainstem metastasis and demonstrated a complete response upon initiation of encorafenib and binimetinib, thereby obviating the need for stereotactic radiosurgery.