Table 3 Correlation between TERT promoter mutation and clinicopathologic characteristics in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma
Variables | TERT promoter mutation |  | p Value | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wildtype (A) | C228T, C250T (B) | C216T (C) | Total | Â | A vs. B | A vs. C | B vs. C | |
Age (yr) |  |  |  |  |  | <  0.001 | 0.313 | 0.065 |
 <55 | 104 (92.0%) | 3 (2.7%) | 6 (5.3%) | 113 |  |  |  |  |
 ≥ 55 | 16 (59.3%) | 9 (33.3%) | 2 (7.4%) | 27 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |
 Mean ± sd | 40.28 ± 10.78 | 59.25 ± 9.95 | 46.00 ± 13.73 |  |  | < 0.001 | 0.155 | 0.022 |
Sex | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.91 | 0.389 | 1.000 |
 Female | 93 (88.6%) | 7 (6.7%) | 5 (4.8%) | 105 |  |  |  |  |
 Male | 27 (77.1%) | 5 (14.3%) | 3 (8.6%) | 35 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |
Histologic variant | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.063 | 1.000 | 0.242 |
 Non-aggressive | 112 (86.8%) | 9 (7%) | 8 (6.2%) | 129 |  |  |  |  |
 Aggressive | 8 (72.7%) | 3 (27.3%) | 0 (0%) | 11 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |
Multifocality | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.519 | 0.673 | 0.333 |
 Yes | 37 (86%) | 5 (11.6%) | 1 (2.3%) | 43 |  |  |  |  |
 No | 83 (86.5%) | 7 (7.3%) | 6 (6.3%) | 96 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 7 | 139 |  |  |  |  |
Vascular invasion | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.190 | 1.000 | 1.000 |
 Yes | 7 (77.8%) | 2 (22.2%) | 0 (0%) | 9 |  |  |  |  |
 No | 113 (89%) | 10 (7.9%) | 4 (3.1%) | 127 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 4 | 136 |  |  |  |  |
Extrathyroidal extension | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.001 | 1.000 | 0.019 |
 Yes | 38 (76%) | 10 (20%) | 2 (4%) | 50 |  |  |  |  |
 No | 82 (91.1%) | 2 (2.2%) | 6 (6.7%) | 90 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis |  |  |  |  |  | 0.122 | 1.000 | NA |
 Yes | 24 (100%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 24 |  |  |  |  |
 No | 96 (86.5%) | 12 (10.8%) | 3 (2.7%) | 111 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 3 | 135 |  |  |  |  |
Tumor size (cm) | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.003 | 0.136 | 0.002 |
 Mean ± sd | 0.88 ± 0.43 | 2.26 ± 1.25 | 0.65 ± 0.30 |  |  |  |  |  |
Pathologic T category |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001# | 1.000# | 0.015# |
 T1 | 116 (89.9%) | 5 (3.9%) | 8 (6.2%) | 129 |  |  |  |  |
 T2 | 3 (37.5%) | 5 (62.5%) | 0 (0%) | 8 |  |  |  |  |
 T3 | 1 (33.3%) | 2 (66.7%) | 0 (0%) | 3 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |
Pathologic N category | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.031 | 0.440 | 0.045 |
 N0 | 59 (89.4%) | 2 (3%) | 5 (7.6%) | 66 |  |  |  |  |
 N1 | 61 (83.6%) | 10 (13.7%) | 2 (2.7%) | 73 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 7 | 139 |  |  |  |  |
Metastatic nodal number | 1.83 ± 2.73 | 6.75 ± 5.12 | 0.33 ± 0.82 |  |  | 0.007 | 0.183 | 0.001 |
ATA recurrence risk |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001* | 0.458* | 0.002* |
 Low | 65 (92.9%) | 0 (0%) | 5 (7.1%) | 70 |  |  |  |  |
 Intermediate | 48 (84.2%) | 7 (12.3%) | 2 (3.5%) | 57 |  |  |  |  |
 High | 7 (58.3%) | 5 (41.7%) | 0 (0%) | 12 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 7 | 139 |  |  |  |  |
AJCC staging |  |  |  |  |  | < 0.001 | 1.000 | 0.017 |
 I | 111(90.2%) | 5 (4.1%) | 7 (5.7%) | 123 |  |  |  |  |
 II | 9 (56.3%) | 7 (43.8%) | 0 (0%) | 16 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 7 | 139 |  |  |  |  |
BRAF V600E mutation | Â | Â | Â | Â | Â | 0.668 | 0.495 | 0.595 |
 Present | 104 (85.2%) | 10 (8.2%) | 8 (6.6%) | 122 |  |  |  |  |
 None | 16 (88.9%) | 2 (11.1%) | 0 (0%) | 18 |  |  |  |  |
 Total | 120 | 12 | 8 | 140 |  |  |  |  |