Prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in Asian patients with thyroid cancer

I read with interest the recent article of Navarro-Locsin et al from the Philippines on the local rate of BRAF mutation in thyroid cancer. BRAF is a key genetic event in the initiation and progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). It is a well-established diagnostic marker useful in the preoperative evaluation of indeterminate thyroid nodules. In addition, BRAF mutation attracts substantial interest as a therapeutic target and prognostic tool. It is believed that knowing the local BRAF mutation rate is of importance not only to the particular patient but also to health care providers. BRAF testing alone (opposite to multi-target gene panels) is deemed to be more cost-effective in regions with high prevalence of BRAF mutation. A rate of BRAF in PTC was extensively reported from Western countries (USA and Europe), with the consistent prevalence of 40-45% across different regions. Summary on BRAF mutation rate in Asian countries is shown in Fig. 1. Available data from South and Southeast Asia are very