Associations between BRAF(V600E) and prognostic factors and poor outcomes in papillary thyroid carcinoma: a meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study is to perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between the BRAF(V600E) mutation status and aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognostic factors in papillary thyroid cancer.


METHODS
A literature search was performed within the PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science databases, and EMBASE databases using the Medical Subject Headings and keywords from January 2003 to July 2015. Individual study-specific odds ratios and confidence intervals were calculated, as were the Mantel-Haenszel pooled odds ratios for the combined studies.


RESULTS
Sixty-three studies of 20,764 patients were included in the final analysis. Compared with wild-type BRAF, the BRAF(V600E) mutation was associated with aggressive clinicopathological factors, including extrathyroidal extension, higher TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence, and was associated with reduced overall survival; however, there was no significant association between the presence of BRAF mutation and distant metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
BRAF mutations are closely associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and poorer prognosis in papillary thyroid cancer. Accordingly, aggressive treatment should be considered for papillary thyroid cancer patients with BRAF mutation.
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Number 1277, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
Chunping
C
Liu
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Affiliated Nanshan Hospital, Guangdong Medical College, Number 89, Taoyuan Road, Shenzhen, China.
Tianwen
T
Chen
Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Number 1277, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. 6myt@163.com.|Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Number 238, Jiefanglu, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. 6myt@163.com.
Zeming
Z
Liu
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009154:Mutation; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics*; D015996:Survival Rate; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
BRAF mutation; Meta-analysis; Papillary thyroid carcinoma