Molecular markers prognosticate the aggressiveness of papillary thyroid cancer

Application of molecular markers in diagnosing and prognosticating thyroid cancer is of high clinical significance. These include BRAFV600E, TERT and RAS mutations, PAX8/PPAR. rearrangement, and gene expression classifier (GEC). Molecular pathogenesis of thyroid cancer has been accepted, gradually, by the elucidation of the fundamental roles of several major signaling pathways and related molecular derangements. Although most papillary thyroid cancers (PTC) occupy higher TNM stages, 10-year overall survival rates have remained high. It seems that prognosticating the aggressiveness of PTC has more weight in diagnosis. However, to date, there is no unanimous consensus regarding prognosticating the aggressiveness of PTC using molecular markers. The present review aimed to illuminate the performance of molecular markers in predicting the aggressiveness of PTC, providing unprecedented opportunities for further research and clinical development of novel treatment strategies for this cancer.