Figure 1.

Study design. A total of 113 NOD.H2^h4_TPO-CRE-ER_BRAF^V600E mice were assigned to 3 experimental groups: 1 where thyroiditis and papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) were induced concomitantly (by sodium iodide supplementation to the drinking water and tamoxifen injection, respectively); 1 where thyroiditis was induced first and then followed by PTC induction; and 1 where only PTC was induced. Each group contained 1 arm where mice were injected with tamoxifen and another where they were injected with vehicle control (corn oil). Injections are indicated by red arrows. The 113 mice were analyzed in 2 follow-up modalities: the first 50 mice (lifetime cohort, 31 injected with tamoxifen and 19 corn oil) were followed-up until their natural death (or up to when euthanasia was requested by veterinarians); the second 63 mice (16-week cohort, 35 injected with tamoxifen and 28 corn oil) were sacrificed at 16 weeks after the first tamoxifen injection.