Clinical implication of the BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Background: The BRAF mutation is the most common genetic alteration in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). In recent studies, the BRAF mutation has been associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics, such as lymph node metastasis, extrathyroidal extension, and advanced stage. However, other studies have failed to establish an association between the BRAF mutation and clinicopathological features. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the BRAF mutation and its clinicopathological factors at a single institution. Methods: A total of 327 consecutive patients with PTC were enrolled in this study and underwent thyroid surgery at Yeouido St. Mary’s Hospital between February 2010 and December 2011. BRAF mutation analysis was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification of DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tumour specimens. Results: The BRAF mutation was detected in the tumours of 241 (73.7%) patients. Lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, and multifocality were not significantly associated with the BRAF mutation. However, larger tumour size, extrathyroidal extension, histologic type (classic type), and concurrent Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were associated with the BRAF mutation in the univariate analysis, although no clinicopathological features were associated with the BRAF mutation in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: There was no idependent prognostic factor associated with BRAF mutation status in this study. The BRAF mutation is unlikely to serve as a prognostic factor for PTC.