Analysis of circulating tumor DNA does not improve the clinical management of patients with locally advanced and metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Analysis of circulating tumor DNA does not improve the clinical management of patients with locally advanced and metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Head Neck. 2018 Mar 22;:

Authors: Condello V, Macerola E, Ugolini C, De Napoli L, Romei C, Materazzi G, Elisei R, Basolo F

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Circulating cell-free tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma is a promising noninvasive instrument for cancer monitoring. Detection of BRAFV600E on ctDNA of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) may represent an indicator of tumor aggressiveness and progression.
METHODS: Eighty-three plasma samples were collected from 70 patients with thyroid nodules undergoing surgery and from 13 patients with PTC causing distant metastases. A total of 59 PTCs from both groups were evaluated for BRAF mutation on tumor tissue and on ctDNA from plasma samples by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digital PCR.
RESULTS: Of 59 PTCs, 22 were BRAFV600E mutated (37.3%). The corresponding ctDNA was negative by using both techniques.
CONCLUSION: Although highly sensitive techniques were used, in our study, circulating BRAFV600E alleles were never detected in the plasma of patients with PTC; therefore, our results raise the question about the clinical usefulness of BRAFV600E analysis on ctDNA of patients with PTC.

PMID: 29566452 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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