epithelial cells accounts for approximately 1% of all new case of cancer each year and its incidence has increased significantly over the last two decades (Hodgson et al., 2004; Davies and Welch, 2006). Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) accounts for approximately 85% of all cases, and it is responsible for the overall increase in incidence of thyroid cancer. Mortality in PTC is low and the majo...

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is frequently associated with RET gene rearrangements that generate the so-called RET/PTC oncogenes. In this review, we examine the data about the mechanisms of thyroid cell transformation, activation of downstream signal transduction pathways and modulation of gene expression induced by RET/PTC. These findings have advanced our understanding of the processes u...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the significance of BRAF (V600E) and Ras mutations, and RET rearrangements in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in the South central region of China. METHODS We included patients from Union hospital's pathology archive diagnosed with PTC and meeting the criteria for BRAF mutation, RAS mutation, and RET rearrangement testing. Medical records were analyzed for BRAF and RAS mu...

RET gene rearrangements (RET/PTCs) represent together with BRAF point mutations the two major groups of mutations involved in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) initiation and progression. In this review, we will examine the mechanisms involved in RET/PTC-induced thyroid cell transformation. In detail, we will summarize the data on the molecular mechanisms involved in RET/PTC formation and in it...

The world's highest incidence of thyroid cancer has been reported among females in New Caledonia, a French overseas territory in the Pacific located between Australia and Fiji. To date, no molecular genetic studies in this population are available. Over the past few years, the oncogenic rearrangement of the ret protooncogene (ret/ptc) has been studied in papillary carcinomas in different popula...

A sharp increase in the incidence of pediatric thyroid papillary cancer was documented after the Chernobyl power plant explosion. An increased prevalence of rearrangements of the RET protooncogene (RET/PTC rearrangements) has been reported in Belarussian post-Chernobyl papillary carcinomas arising between 1990 and 1995. We analyzed 67 post-Chernobyl pediatric papillary carcinomas arising in 199...

Rearrangements of the RET proto-oncogene may occur in both naturally occurring and radiation-induced papillary thyroid carcinomas. Conflicting results on the frequency and type of RET/PTC rearrangements have been reported in relation to age, radiation exposure, and histological tumor variant. We designed the present study to evaluate in a single laboratory, using the same methodologies, the pat...

Cytological examination of fine needle aspiration biopsy is the primary means for distinguishing benign from malignant nodules. However, as inconclusive cytology is very frequent, the introduction of molecular markers in the preoperative diagnosis of thyroid nodules has been proposed in recent years. In this article, we review the clinical implications of preoperative detection of rearrangement...

Background: The RET (rearranged during transfection) proto-oncogene codes for a tyrosine kinase receptor that plays an important role in the developmental regulation of the kidney and nervous systems. Sporadic mutations in RET have been well documented in cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most common being RET/PTC 1 and RET/PTC 3. Although originally thought to be a specific tumor...

Ionizing radiation (IR) exposure increases the risk of thyroid cancer and other cancer types. Chromosomal rearrangements, such as RET/PTC, are characteristic features of radiation-associated thyroid cancer and can be induced by radiation in vitro. IR causes double-strand breaks (DSBs), suggesting that such damage leads to RET/PTC, but the rearrangement mechanism has not been established. To stu...