BRAF^V600E Positivity-Dependent Effect of Age on Papillary Thyroid Cancer Recurrence Risk

BRAF^V600E positivity is associated with increased aggressiveness of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and age is an important prognostic factor. However, the association between age and BRAF^V600E positivity and the recurrence risk has not been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the impact of age on recurrence between patients with BRAF^V600E-positive and -negative PTC. Patients with PTC who underwent initial thyroid surgery between January 2010 and December 2018 at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (Seoul, Republic of Korea) were retrospectively reviewed. The BRAF^V600E-positive (n = 1768) and BRAF^V600E-negative groups (n = 428) were divided into two subgroups: younger (<35 years) and older groups (≥55 years). In the BRAF^V600E-positive group, the younger group exhibited higher lymphatic and vascular invasion rates, more positive lymph nodes, higher lymph node ratios, and higher recurrence rates than the older group (5.9% vs. 2.1%). Multivariate analysis revealed that age, lymphatic invasion, and N category were significant risk factors in the BRAF^V600E-positive group. In the BRAF^V600E-positive group, the younger group had a higher recurrence risk than the older group (OR, 2.528; 95% confidence interval, 1.443-4.430; p = 0.001). In the BRAF^V600E-negative group, age had no impact on recurrence risk. These results contribute to tailored treatment strategies and informed patient management.