BRAF mutation predicts a poorer clinical prognosis for papillary thyroid cancer.

Context: Use of BRAF mutation in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has the potential to improve risk stratification of this cancer.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the prognostic value of BRAF mutation in patients with PTC.

Design, Setting, And Subjects: In a multicenter study of 219 PTC patients, data on their clinicopathological characteristics and clinical courses between 1990 and 2004 were retrospectively collected, and their tumor BRAF mutation status was determined.

High prevalence and possible de novo formation of BRAF mutation in metastasized papillary thyroid cancer in lymph nodes.

Context: The role of the T1799A BRAF mutation in lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is not clear.

Objective: Our objective was to explore the relationship between BRAF mutation and lymph node metastasis of PTC by examining the mutation in both the primary tumors and their paired lymph node metastases.

Design: We isolated genomic DNA from primary thyroid tumors and paired lymph node metastases and performed direct sequencing of exon 15 of the BRAF gene mutation that carries the T1799A mutation.