title: BRAF(V600E) mutation is highly prevalent in thyroid carcinomas in the young population in Fukushima: a different oncogenic profile from Chernobyl.
abstract: After the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, the thyroid ultrasound screening program for children aged 0-18 at the time of the accident was started from October 2011. The prevalence of thyroid carcinomas in that population has appeared to be very high (84 cases per 296,253). To clarify the pathogenesis, we investigated the presence of driver mutations in these tumours. 61 classic papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs), two follicular variant PTCs, four cribriform-morular variant PTCs and one poorly-differentiated thyroid carcinoma were analysed. We detected BRAF(V600E) in 43 cases (63.2%), RET/PTC1 in six (8.8%), RET/PTC3 in one (1.5%) and ETV6/NTRK3 in four (5.9%). Among classic and follicular variant PTCs, BRAF(V600E) was significantly associated with the smaller size. The genetic pattern was completely different from post-Chernobyl PTCs, suggesting non-radiogenic etiology of these cancers. This is the first study demonstrating the oncogene profile in the thyroid cancers discovered by large mass screening, which probably reflects genetic status of all sporadic and latent tumours in the young Japanese population. It is assumed that BRAF(V600E) may not confer growth advantage on paediatric PTCs, and many of these cases grow slowly, suggesting that additional factors may be important for tumour progression in paediatric PTCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.|Nagasaki University Research Centre for Genomic Instability and Carcinogenesis (NRGIC).
authors.forename: Norisato
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitsutake
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuse
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health, Medicine and Welfare, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rogounovitch
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Risk Control, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saenko
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Noguchi Hospital.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nagasaki Medical Centre.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Thyroid and Endocrinology, Fukushima Medical University.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Medical Sciences, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.|Department of Health Risk Control, Atomic Bomb Disease Institute, Nagasaki University.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamashita
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000528:radiation effects; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D047852:Chernobyl Nuclear Accident; D002648:Child; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D062406:Fukushima Nuclear Accident; D005787:Gene Frequency; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D015995:Prevalence; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf