Younger Than 55 Years Old and BRAF V600E Mutation are Risk Factors for Lymph Node Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas ≤1.0 cm but Not in >1.0 cm

Figures & data

Table 1 Association Between BRAF V600E Mutation and Clinicopathological Features of PTC Patients

Clinicopathological Features	Total (n=520)	BRAF		P value
		Wild Type (n=98)	V600E (n=422)
Gender
Male	88(16.9%)	17(17.3%)	71(16.8%)	1.000
Female	432(83.1%)	81(82.7%)	351(83.2%)
Age
<55	416(80.0%)	80(81.6%)	336(79.6%)	0.678
≥55	104(20.0%)	18(18.4%)	86(20.4%)
History of smoking
Never	510(98.1%)	97(99.0%)	413(97.9%)	0.696
Ever or Current	10(1.9%)	1(1.0%)	9(2.1%)
History of alcohol consumption
Never	514(98.8%)	98(100.0%)	416(98.6%)	0.600
Ever or Current	6(1.2%)	0(0)	6(1.4%)
Cancer site
Left side	178(34.2%)	41(41.8%)	137(32.5%)	0.004
Right side	232(44.6%)	48(49.0%)	184(43.6%)
Both sides	110(21.2%)	9(9.2%)	101(23.9%)
Maximum tumor diameter
≤1cm	250(48.1%)	41(41.8%)	209(49.5%)	0.180
>1cm	270(51.9%)	57(58.2%)	213(50.5%)
Disease stage
I–II	470(90.4%)	90(91.8%)	380(90.0%)	0.705
III–IV	50(9.6%)	8(8.2%)	42(10.0%)
T-stage
T1–T2	406(78.1%)	80(81.6%)	326(77.3%)	0.416
T3–T4	114(21.9%)	18(18.4%)	96(22.7%)
N-stage
N0	194(37.3%)	46(46.9%)	148(35.1%)	0.037
N1	326(62.7%)	52(53.1%)	274(64.9%)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
No	456(87.7%)	83(84.7%)	373(88.4%)	0.393
Yes	64(12.3%)	15(15.3%)	49(11.6%)
Calcification
No	344(66.2%)	60(61.2%)	284(67.3%)	0.286
Yes	176(33.8%)	38(38.8%)	138(32.7%)
Risk of recurrence
Low	192(36.9%)	47(48.0%)	145(34.4%)	0.025
Moderate	222(42.7%)	31(31.6%)	191(45.3%)
High	106(20.4%)	20(20.4%)	86(20.4%)

Figure 1 The frequency of BRAF V600E mutation between different age groups.

Table 2 Association Between BRAF V600E Mutation and Clinicopathological Features of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma (PTMC) (≤1.0 cm) Patients

Clinicopathological Features	PTMC (≤1 cm) (n=250)	BRAF		P value
		Wild Type (n=41)	V600E (n=209)
Gender
Male	42(16.8%)	7(17.1%)	35(16.7%)	1.000
Female	208(83.2%)	34(82.9%)	174(83.3%)
Age
<55	201(80.4%)	32(78.0%)	169(80.9%)	0.830
≥55	49(19.6%)	9(22.0%)	40(19.1%)
History of smoking
Never	243(97.2%)	41(100.0%)	202(96.7%)	0.603
Ever or Current	7(2.8%)	0(0)	7(3.3%)
History of alcohol consumption
Never	247(98.8%)	41(100.0%)	206(98.6%)	1.000
Ever or Current	3(1.2%)	0(0)	3(1.4%)
Cancer site
Unilateral	200(80.0%)	39(95.1%)	161(77.0%)	0.005
Bilateral	50(20.0%)	2(4.9%)	48(23.0%)
Disease stage
I–II	234(93.6%)	40(97.6%)	194(92.8%)	0.483
III–IV	16(6.4%)	1(2.4%)	15(7.2%)
T-stage
T1-T2	229(91.6%)	39(95.1%)	190(90.9%)	0.543
T3-T4	21(8.4%)	2(4.9%)	19(9.1%)
N-stage
N0	105(42.0%)	25(61.0%)	80(38.3%)	0.009
N1	145(58.0%)	16(39.0%)	129(61.7%)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
No	223(89.2%)	33(80.5%)	190(90.9%)	0.058
Yes	27(10.8%)	8(19.5%)	19(9.1%)
Calcification
No	181(72.4%)	29(70.7%)	152(72.7%)	0.849
Yes	69(27.6%)	12(29.3%)	57(27.3%)
Risk of recurrence
Low	124(49.6%)	27(65.9%)	97(46.4%)	0.058
Medium	92(36.8%)	9(21.9%)	83(39.7%)
High	34(13.6%)	5(12.2%)	29(13.9%)

Table 3 Association Between BRAF V600E Mutation and Clinicopathological Features of PTC Patients with Maximum Tumor Diameter >1.0cm

Clinicopathological Features	PTC with >1 cm (n=270)	BRAF		P value
		Wild Type (n=57)	V600E (n=213)
Gender
Male	46(17.0%)	10(17.5%)	36(16.9%)	1.000
Female	224(83.0%)	47(82.5%)	177(83.1%)
Age
<55	215(79.6%)	48(84.2%)	167(78.4%)	0.363
≥55	55(20.4%)	9(15.8%)	46(21.6%)
History of smoking
Never	267(98.9%)	56(98.2%)	211(99.1%)	0.511
Ever or Current	3(1.1%)	1(1.8%)	2(0.9%)
History of alcohol consumption
Never	267(98.9%)	57(100.0%)	210(98.6%)	1.000
Ever or Current	3(1.1%)	0(0)	3(1.4%)
Cancer site
Unilateral	210(77.8%)	50(87.7%)	160(75.1%)	0.048
Bilateral	60(22.2%)	7(12.3%)	53(24.9%)
Disease stage
I–II	236(87.4%)	50(87.7%)	186(87.3%)	1.000
III–IV	34(12.6%)	7(12.3%)	27(12.7%)
T-stage
T1-T2	177(65.6%)	41(71.9%)	136(63.8%)	0.276
T3-T4	93(34.4%)	16(28.1%)	77(36.2%)
N-stage
N0	89(33.0%)	21(36.8%)	68(31.9%)	0.527
N1	181(67.0%)	36(63.2%)	145(68.1%)
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
No	233(86.3%)	50(87.7%)	183(85.9%)	0.831
Yes	37(13.7%)	7(12.3%)	30(14.1%)
Calcification
No	163(60.4%)	31(54.4%)	132(62.0%)	0.360
Yes	107(39.6%)	26(45.6%)	81(38.0%)
Risk of recurrence
Low	68(25.2%)	20(35.1%)	48(22.5%)	0.120
Medium	130(48.1%)	22(38.6%)	108(50.7%)
High	72(26.7%)	15(26.3%)	57(26.8%)

Table 4 Logistic Regression Analysis of Risk Factors of Lymph Node Metastasis

Variables	All PTC				PTMC (≤1.0 cm)				PTC with >1.0 cm
	Univariate		Multivariate		Univariate		Multivariate		Univariate		Multivariate
	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value	OR (95% CI)	P value
Gender (Female/Male)	0.906(0.465–1.768)	0.773	0.966(0.487–1.919)	0.922	0.728(0.366–1.450)	0.367	0.663(0.318–1.381)	0.272	1.103(0.566–2.152)	0.773	1.035(0.521–2.055)	0.922
Age (<55/≥55, years old)	1.623(0.882–2.984)	0.119	1.640(0.876–3.071)	0.122	2.385(1.261–4.509)	0.007	2.384(1.241–4.579)	0.009	1.623(0.882–2.984)	0.119	1.640(0.876–3.071)	0.122
Cancer site (Bilateral/Unilateral)	1.320(0.703–2.477)	0.388	1.262(0.666–2.389)	0.475	2.147(1.091–4.226)	0.027	1.982(0.971–4.042)	0.060	1.320(0.703–2.477)	0.388	1.262(0.666–2.389)	0.475
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (No/Yes)	1.282(0.625–2.632)	0.498	1.338(0.645–2.774)	0.434	1.322(0.594–2.944)	0.494	1.201(0.512–2.819)	0.674	1.282(0.625–2.632)	0.498	1.338(0.645–2.774)	0.434
Calcification (Yes/No)	0.950(0.566–1.595)	0.847	1.001(0.591–1.695)	0.998	0.848(0.485–1.483)	0.563	0.807(0.447–1.459)	0.478	0.950(0.566–1.595)	0.847	1.001(0.591–1.695)	0.998
BRAF V600E mutation (Yes/No)	1.244(0.676–2.290)	0.483	1.257(0.675–2.341)	0.472	2.520(1.268–5.007)	0.008	2.213(1.085–4.512)	0.029	1.244(0.676–2.290)	0.483	1.257(0.675–2.341)	0.472

Abbreviations: OR, odds ratio; CI, confidence interval.

Data Sharing Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.