Multiple Genetic Alterations in Papillary Thyroid Cancer are Associated with Younger Age at Presentation

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research 2010-05, Vol.160 (2), p.179-183
• Main Authors: Moses, Willieford, B.S, Weng, Julie, B.S, Khanafshar, Elham, M.D, Duh, Quan-Yang, M.D, Clark, Orlo H., M.D, Kebebew, Electron, M.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; age; Age of Onset; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma, Papillary - epidemiology; Carcinoma, Papillary - genetics; Carcinoma, Papillary - secondary; Disease Progression; Endocrinopathies; Female; gender; General aspects; Genes, ras - genetics; Genotype; Humans; Incidence; Lymphatic Metastasis; Male; Malignant tumors; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Non tumoral diseases. Target tissue resistance. Benign neoplasms; Oncogene Fusion - genetics; outcome; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ret - genetics; Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); ras Proteins - genetics; Receptor, trkA - genetics; Risk Factors; somatic mutations; Surgery; thyroid cancer; Thyroid Neoplasms - epidemiology; Thyroid Neoplasms - genetics; Thyroid Neoplasms - pathology; Thyroid. Thyroid axis (diseases)
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2009.05.031

Background There is a significant gender and age disparity in thyroid cancer incidence and outcome. The molecular basis for these divergent clinical presentations and outcome are essentially unknown. Methods The primary tumor genotype in 217 patients with papillary thyroid cancer was determined for six common somatic genetic alterations (RET/PTC1, RET/PTC3, and NTRK1 rearrangements, and BRAF V600E, KRAS, and NRAS hotspot mutations) by PCR and direct sequencing, and nested PCR. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of genetic changes and age, gender, and other clinicopathologic factors. Results One hundred twenty-one of the 190 conventional papillary thyroid carcinoma samples (63.7%) had at least one genetic alteration, and 27 of the samples (14.2%) had more than one alteration. In the follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinomas, 13 of the 27 samples (48.1%) had at least one genetic alteration and three of the 27 samples (11.1%) had more than one. The presence of multiple genetic alterations was associated with younger age at diagnosis ( P = 0.034), mean difference of 8 y earlier. We found no significant association with the number or type of genetic alterations present by gender, tumor size, extent of tumor differentiation, multicentricity, lymph node metastasis, distant metastases, TNM stage, and the AMES risk group. The association of multiple genetic alterations and younger age were independent of tumor size, lymph node or distant metastasis, TNM stage, or AMES risk group. Conclusions Multiple genetic alterations are more common in younger patients with papillary thyroid cancer, but there is no difference in the type or number of genetic alterations by gender. Our findings suggest that multiple genetic alterations in thyroid cancer may be associated with earlier disease initiation and or progression.