NRAS and cutaneous melanoma: This is consistent with the assumption that frequent oncogenic mutations of BRAF and NRAS in cutaneous melanoma as well as in benign melanocytic nevi (Davies et al, 2002; Pollock et al, 2003), which also activate the MAP-kinase pathway, are early events and are not associated with clinical outcome (Shinozaki et al, 2004; Akslen et al, 2005; Edlundh-Rose et al, 2006).