Somatic mutations in the MAP (mitogen-activated protein) kinase pathway have been found in about 80% of papillary thyroid tumors (PTCs). The evaluation of the PTC mutational profile is crucial for the definition of the prognosis and for predicting the effects of targeted and personalized therapies. Molecular characterization by mass spectrometry (Mass ARRAY) allows the search for multiple mutations in a single experiment, in a sensitive, fast and economic way. A Mass ARRAY platform (PTC-MA) was developed, capable of identifying the presence of the most common somatic point mutations and rearrangements in PTC (Pesenti et al., Endocrine 2017). The aim of the study is to characterize the mutational profile of a large series of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). Tumor samples will be analyzed using our PTC-MA platform. The molecular profile of PTCs will be correlated with the clinical and prognostic characteristics of the patients.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients with papillary thyroid cancer
• patients whose tumor tissue can be recovered for genetic analysis

Exclusion Criteria:

• patients who did not give consent
• patients lost to follow-up
• tumor samples not suitable for genetic analysis

Patients diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, operated and followed by our Center of Excellence for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Thyroid Tumors