BRAF V600E mutation does not predict recurrence after long-term follow-up in TNM stage I or II papillary thyroid carcinoma patients

Pelttari H, Schalin‐Jäntti C, Arola J, Löyttyniemi E, Knuutila S, Välimäki MJ. BRAF V600E mutation does not predict recurrence after long‐term follow‐up in TNM stage I or II papillary thyroid carcinoma patients. APMIS 2012; 120: 380–6. The BRAF V600E mutation may serve as a marker of disease recurrence in well‐differentiated papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Our aim was to study if TNM stage I or II PTC patients, with and without recurrence after long‐term follow‐up would differ in BRAF status. BRAF status was retrospectively determined in tumour tissue from a cohort of low‐risk PTC patients (n = 461) with and without recurrence after 16 years of follow‐up. Initial treatment was total thyroidectomy (TTE) and radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA). Forty‐six patients (9.9%) experienced disease recurrence. BRAF mutation was positive in 66% (17/26) of patients with and 68% (17/25) without recurrence (p = NS). Fifty per cent of BRAF positive and 53% of BRAF negative patients experienced disease recurrence (p = NS). Time to recurrence was 52 (range 18–144) and 36 (range 16–71) months, respectively (p = NS). Primary tumour size, nodal metastasis and local infiltration at presentation did not differ between BRAF positive and negative patients (2.0 vs 2.2 cm, 21% vs 35% and 6% vs 12%, respectively, all p = NS). Taken together, BRAF V600E is common in Finnish patients with low‐risk PTC but does not predict recurrence after long‐term follow‐up after initial treatment with TTE and RRA.