Abstract
Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) harboring a BRAFV600E gene mutation has been shown to exhibit aggressive tumor behavior and carries higher risks of recurrence and disease-specific death. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we examined published evidence related to the accuracy of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) in detection of residual disease in patients with BRAFV600E mutated thyroid cancer. We extracted data from PUBMED/MEDLINE and EMBASE published between January 1995 and March 2017. We included studies that compared FDG PET standardized uptake values (SUVs) between BRAFV600E-positive and BRAFV600E-negative subjects, as well as those that evaluated the odds of having FDG avidity between BRAFV600E-positive and -negative patients with thyroid cancer. There were a total of 12 studies in the systematic review. Seven studies qualified for the analysis for calculating the pooled odds ratio (OR). The pooled cohort with binary data had 1,144 patients out of which 843 were BRAFV600E positive and 301 were BRAFV600E negative. Those with a BRAFV600E mutation had a significantly greater likelihood of having FDG-avid lesions. The pooled OR was 2.12 (confidence interval [CI] 1.53-3.00, P<.01). The pooled mean SUV (cohort of 315 patients) was significantly higher in BRAFV600E-positive compared to BRAFV600E negative patients, with a pooled mean difference of 5.1 (CI 4.3-5.8). Our meta-analysis shows that presence of BRAFV600E mutation in PTC confers a higher likelihood of FDG PET avidity and is associated with higher SUV uptake values compared to BRAFV600E-mutation negative status. BRAF = B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase; CI = confidence interval; CT = computed tomography; DTC = differentiated thyroid cancer; FDG = fluorodeoxyglucose; PET = positron emission tomography; PTC = papillary thyroid cancer; SUV = standardized uptake value.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
