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Updated: Apr 22, 2026
An Orthotopic Mouse Model of Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma
Published on: April 17, 2013
BRAF mutation may predict higher necessity of postoperative radioactive iodine ablation in papillary thyroid cancer
Sang-Ah Han1, Won Seo Park2, Jae-Hoon Jang1
1Department of Surgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Purpose:
The primary aim of the present study was to analyze the association between high-risk clinicopathologic characteristics and the BRAFV600E mutation.
Methods:
From March 2010 to September 2012, we performed analysis of the BRAF mutation (assessing V600E point mutation of BRAF gene, exon 15, on chromosome 7q34 by real-time polymerase chain reaction kit) from 499 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients who underwent thyroidectomy. We analyzed the relation between the mutation and known clinicopathologic risk factors of PTC.
Results:
BRAF mutations were found in 353 of 499 patients (70.7%). On univariate analysis, BRAF mutations were more frequently detected in patients with central lymph node metastasis (78.5% vs. 66.7%, P = 0.007) and classic PTC type (71.3% vs. 16.7%, P = 0.011). Patients with one or more aggressive pathologic feature such as lymph node metastasis, multifocality, and extrathyroidal extension showed higher BRAF mutation rate (73.5% vs. 62.3%, P = 0.022). BRAF mutation group showed more aggressive pathologic features, which is considered as higher necessity of radioactive iodine ablation (relative risk, 1.617; P = 0.035).
Conclusion:
This study found that BRAF mutation is associated with classic PTC and central lymph node metastasis and higher necessity of radioactive iodine ablation.
