OBJECTIVE: The coexistence of BRAF V600E and the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutation C228T/C250T is extensively associated with thyroid cancer prognosis. Our study aimed to establish a sensitive method for mutation detection and explore the correlation in detail.

METHODS: The BRAF and TERT promoter mutation status of 250 papillary thyroid cancers was determined using amplification-refractory mutation system quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-qPCR) and Sanger sequencing to compare the sensitivity of the 2 methods. Associations between the mutation status and clinicopathological features were then analyzed.

RESULTS: ARMS-qPCR was more sensitive than Sanger sequencing (BRAF V600E: 75.2% [188 of 250] vs 52.4% [131 of 250], P < .001; TERT promoter C228T/C250T mutation: 12.0% [30 of 250] vs 3.6% [9 of 250], P = .001; comutation: 9.6% [24 of 250] vs 3.2% [8 of 250], P = .005). Both ARMS-qPCR and Sanger sequencing indicated that patients with coexisting BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations had an older diagnosis age, higher recurrence rate, and were associated with a more advanced TNM stage and higher metastasis, age, completeness of resection, invasion, and size score. Moreover, ARMS-qPCR helped identify an earlier group stage, which was younger and had smaller tumors and a lower recurrence rate, compared with the group with coexisting BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations identified by Sanger sequencing. The newly identified group had a lower metastasis, age, completeness of resection, invasion, and size score and TNM stage.

CONCLUSION: Patients with coexisting BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations had a worse prognosis. ARMS-qPCR, the more sensitive method, can be used to identify patients who have a potentially worse prognosis earlier.