Table 1. patient and tumor characteristics for all patients included in the study and stratified by BRAF V600E-status.
| Characteristic | All patients (n=186) | BRAF+ (n=98) | BRAF− (n=88) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Female | 140 (75.3) | 69 (70.4) | 71 (80.7) | Pχ2=0.105 |
| Male | 46 (24.7) | 29 (29.6) | 17 (19.3) | |
| Body mass index (BMI) | ||||
| BMI, mean (± SD), kg/m2 | 26.7±5.2 | 27.0±4.9 | 26.4±5.2 | Pt=0.468 |
| Normal weight n (%) | 78 (41.9) | 38 (38.8) | 40 (45.5) | |
| Overweight n (%) | 63 (33.9) | 33 (33.7) | 30 (34.1) | |
| Obese n (%) | 45 (24.2) | 27 (27.6) | 18 (20.5) | |
| Age in years, mean ± SD | 46.7 | 49.5±13.3 | 43.9±16.1 | Pt=0.011 |
| Follow-up in years, mean ± SD | 5±3.0 | 5.1±3.2 | ||
| Thyreotropin (TSH), n (%) | ||||
| TSH normal | 146 (78.5) | 79 (80.6) | 67 (76.1) | Pχ2=0.458 |
| TSH increased | 9 (4.8) | 4 (4.1) | 5 (5.7) | |
| TSH decreased | 31 (16.7) | 15 (15.3) | 16 (18.2) | |
| Pathological variation, n (%) | ||||
| Classical | 118 (63.4) | 77 (78.6) | 41 (46.6) | Pχ2<0.001 |
| Follicular | 58 (31.2) | 17 (17.3) | 41 (46.6) | |
| Other | 10 (5.4) | 4 (4.1) | 6 (6.8) | |
| T classification, n (%) | ||||
| TX | 1 (0.5) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.1) | |
| T1a | 63 (33.9) | 34 (34.7) | 29 (33.0) | |
| T1b | 42 (22.6) | 25 (25.5) | 17 (19.3) | |
| T2 | 42 (22.6) | 16 (16.3) | 26 (29.5) | |
| T3a | 7 (3.8) | 1 (1.0) | 6 (6.8) | |
| T3b | 28 (15.1) | 20 (20.4) | 8 (9.1) | |
| T4a | 3 (1.6) | 2 (2.0) | 1 (1.1) | |
| Tumor size, mean ± SD, mm | 16.3±11.0 | 14.4±8.8 | 18.3±12.8 | Pt=0.018 |
| Tumor growth, n (%) | ||||
| Monofocal | 141 (75.8) | 68 (69.4) | 73 (82.1) | Pχ2=0.031 |
| Multifocal | 45 (24.2) | 30 (30.6) | 15 (17.0) | |
| Tumor expansion, n (%) | ||||
| Intrathyroidal | 155 (83.3) | 76 (77.6) | 79 (89.8) | Pχ2=0.026 |
| Extrathyroidal | 31 (36.0) | 22 (22.4) | 09 (10.2) | |
| N classification, n (%) | ||||
| N0 | 139 (74.7) | 72 (73.5) | 65(76.7) | Pχ2=0.073 |
| N1a | 31 (16.7) | 14 (14.3) | 18 (20.5) | |
| N1b | 17 (9.1) | 12 (12.2) | 05 (5.7) | |
| M classification, n (%) | ||||
| M0 | 183 (98.4) | 95 (96.9) | 88 (100.0) | PF=0.144 |
| M1 (PUL) | 3 (1.6) | 03 (3.1) | 0 (0.0) | |
| AJCC tumor stage, n (%) | ||||
| Stage I | 171 (91.9) | 84 (85.7) | 87 (98.9) | PRR<0.001 |
| Stage II | 13 (7.0) | 12 (12.2) | 0 (0.0) | PRR=0.020 |
| Stage I (<55 years) | 126 (67.7) | 61 (62.2) | 65 (73.9) | |
| Stage II (<55 years) | 1 (0.54) | 1 (1.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Stage I (>55 years) | 45 (24.2) | 23 (23.5) | 22 (26.1) | |
| Stage II (>55 years) | 12 (6.5) | 11 (11.2) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Stage IVB | 2 (1.1) | 02 (2.0) | 00 (0.0) | PRR=0.330 |
| Tumor recurrence | ||||
| No recurrence, n (%) | 169 (90.9) | 89 (90.9) | 80 (90.9) | |
| Recurrence, n (%) | 17 (9.1) | 9 (9.1) | 8 (9.1) | Pχ2=0.810 |
| Recurrence at T1a (microcarcinoma), n (%) | 4 (2.2) | 2 (2.0) | 2 (2.3) | |
| Re-operation after months, mean ± SD | 29.3±29.9 | 35.80±29.6 | 22.30 ± 30.0 | |
| Operative therapy, n (%) | ||||
| Hemithyroidectomy | 13 (7.0) | 6 (6.1) | 7(8.0) | |
| Total thyroidectomy | 173 (93.0) | 92 (93.9) | 81 (92.0) | |
| Lymph node dissection, n (%) | 139 (74.7) | 72 (73.5) | 67 (76.1) | |
| No dissection | 47 (25.2) | 26 (16.5) | 21 (23.9) | |
| Cent. compart. dissect. | 114 (61.3) | 56 (57.1) | 58 (65.9) | |
| Cent. & lat. compart. dissect. | 25 (13.4) | 16 (16.3) | 9 (10.2) | |
| Radio iodine ablative therapy (RIA), n (%) | ||||
| No RIA | 18 (9.7) | 7 (7.1) | 11 (12.5) | |
| RIA | 168 (90.3) | 91 (92.9) | 77 (87.5) | |
| Perioperative complications, n (%) | ||||
| Laryngeal nerve palsy | 22 (11.8) | 14 (14.3) | 8 (9.1) | |
| Hypocalcemia | 57 (30.1) | 27 (27.6) | 30 (34.1) | |
| Reoperation (bleeding/infection) | 5 (2.7) | 3 (3.1) | 2 (2.3) |
Pt = t-test; Pχ2 = Chi2-test; PF = Fisher’s test; PRR = risk ratio.