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BRAFV600E Mutation is Associated with Tumor Aggressiveness in Papillary Thyroid Cancer

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Abstract

Background

The BRAFV600E mutation is the most common genetic alteration found in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Recent studies show that this mutation occurs more frequently in patients with PTC showing aggressive clinicopathologic features. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of the BRAFV600E mutation in tumor samples and its association with high-risk clinicopathologic features prospectively.

Patients and methods

From February 2009 to January 2010, 547 PTC patients who underwent surgery in Seoul National University Hospital were enrolled in the study. Polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify exon 15 of the BRAF gene from paraffin-embedded thyroid tumor specimens, followed by direct sequencing to detect the BRAFV600E mutation. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze associations between the BRAFV600E mutation and clinicopathologic features.

Results

The BRAFV600E mutation was found in 381/547 (69.7%) patients with primary PTC. The BRAFV600E mutation was significantly associated with age (≥45 years), tumor size (>1 cm), extrathyroidal extension, and cervical lymph node metastases (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression showed that it was significantly associated with gender (OR = 1.834; 95% CI 1.021–3.463), tumor size (OR = 1.972; 95% CI 1.250–3.103), and extra-thyroidal extension (OR = 2.428; 95% CI 1.484–3.992), but not with age, multifocality, lymph node metastases, and advanced disease stage. The proportion of BRAFV600E mutation was significantly associated with the number of high-risk factors of tumor recurrence (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The BRAFV600E mutation was associated with high-risk clinicopathologic characteristics in patients with PTC. The BRAFV600E mutation may be a potential prognostic factor in PTC patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, 1435 Jwa-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan, 612-030, Korea

    Su-jin Kim

  2. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital, Seoul, Korea

    Kyu Eun Lee & Yeo-Kyu Youn

  3. Cancer Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Kyu Eun Lee & Yeo-Kyu Youn

  4. Graduate School of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

    Jun Pyo Myong

  5. Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

    Jeong-hwan Park, Yoon Kyung Jeon, Hye Sook Min, So Yeon Park & Kyeong Cheon Jung

  6. Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

    Do Hoon Koo

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  1. Su-jin Kim
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Correspondence to Yeo-Kyu Youn.

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Kim, Sj., Lee, K.E., Myong, J.P. et al. BRAFV600E Mutation is Associated with Tumor Aggressiveness in Papillary Thyroid Cancer. World J Surg 36, 310–317 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-011-1383-1

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