Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
"Sun's Seven-Step Technique" for Endoscopic En-Bloc Resection of Thyroid Cancer via the Chest-Breast Approach
Published on: November 28, 2025
Surgical implications of B-RafV600E mutation in fine-needle aspiration of thyroid nodules
Michal Mekel1, Carmelo Nucera, Richard A Hodin
1Thyroid Cancer Research Laboratory, Endocrine Surgery Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Background:
Management of patients with thyroid nodules is based on establishing an accurate diagnosis; however, differentiating benign from malignant lesions preoperatively is not always possible using current cytological techniques. Novel molecular testing on cytological material could lead to clearer treatment algorithms. B-Raf(V600E) mutation is the most common genetic alteration in thyroid cancer, specifically found in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and usually reported to be associated with aggressive disease.
Data Source:
A literature search using PubMed identified all the pertinent literature on the identification and utilization of the B-Raf(V600E) mutation in thyroid cancer.
Conclusions:
The utility of using B-Raf mutation testing for nodules with indeterminate cytology is limited since many of those nodules (benign and malignant) do not harbor B-Raf mutations. However, when the pathologist sees cytological features suspicious for PTC, B-Raf(V600E) mutation analysis may enhance the assessment of preoperative risks for PTC, directing a more aggressive initial surgical management when appropriate.
