Mutant gene helps thyroid cancer treatment

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have found a specific gene mutation might be useful in predicting thyroid cancer aggression levels and selecting treatment options.

The mutation, called BRAF V600E, is a genetic alteration in the BRAF oncogene -- a modified gene believed to cause cancer.

The study is said to be the largest to date to classify thyroid cancer by cell structure subtype and to show the mutation is significantly associated with cancer recurrence after treatment.

"There is a pressing need to identify a reliable preoperative approach for stratifying patients according to risk of thyroid cancer recurrence and death," said lead author Dr. Electron Kebebew, an assistant professor of surgery at the University of California-San Francisco.

"This study shows that a particular mutation is a reliable indicator, and testing for the mutation may be useful for selecting initial therapy, determining the need for and extent of surgery, as well as the need for ongoing monitoring and follow-up care,” Kebebew said.

The research is reported in the September issue of the Annals of Surgery