A high prevalence of the activating BRAF mutation, BRAF(T1796A), is observed in adult papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). The prognosis of childhood PTCs is generally fairly good despite the fact that distant metastases are often documented in these cases. To investigate the differences between the characteristics of childhood and adult PTCs, we analyzed both BRAF(T1796A) and RAS mutations in 31 Japanese and 48 post-Chernobyl Ukrainian thyroid carcinomas. In the 31 Japanese childhood cases, BRAF(T1796A) was found in only one instance (3.2%), and no RAS mutations were detected. In the Ukrainian subjects, of the 15 childhood and the 33 adolescent and young adult PTCs examined, the BRAF(T1796A) mutation was found in zero and eight cases, respectively, and RAS mutations were found in two of the young adult cases. In addition, 17 of the 48 Ukrainian cases showed expression of the RET tyrosine kinase region, indicating the existence of RET/PTC rearrangements. Unlike adult PTCs, we could detect no positive association between BRAF(T1796A) mutations and clinical parameters in the childhood carcinomas, suggesting that a low prevalence of BRAF(T1796A) is a common feature of PTCs in children regardless of radiation exposure levels. The differences in the prevalence of BRAF(T1796A) mutations between childhood and adult cases of PTC may well reflect inherent differences in the clinical features of these cancers between the two age groups.

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The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 posed major threats to public health. In response, medical professionals have tried to communicate the risks to residents. To investigate forms of risk communication and to share lessons learned, we reviewed medical professionals' activities in Fukushima Prefecture from the prefectural level to the individual level: public communication through Fukushima Health Management Surveys, a Yorozu ("general") health consultation project, communications of radiological conditions and health promotion in Iitate and Kawauchi villages, dialogues based on whole-body counter, and science communications through online media. The activities generally started with radiation risks, mainly through group-based discussions, but gradually shifted to face-to-face communications to address comprehensive health risks to individuals and well-being. The activities were intended to support residents' decisions and to promote public health in a participatory manner. This article highlights the need for a systematic evaluation of ongoing risk communication practices, and a wider application of successful approaches for Fukushima recovery and for better preparedness for future disasters.

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Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples from thyroid tumor tissues were analyzed for the presence of the BRAF(T1796A) mutation by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. This assay utilized a specific mismatched primer and has proved to be a relatively simple, accurate, and highly sensitive method. The analysis of 130 aspirated samples from thyroid tumors (18 follicular adenomas, 72 papillary carcinomas [PTCs], 8 follicular carcinomas, 2 undifferentiated carcinomas, 1 medullary carcinoma, 2 malignant lymphomas, and 27 adenomatous goiters) revealed BRAF(T1796A) mutations in 37 (51.4%) of 72 PTCs, supporting the usefulness of this method. We examined BRAF(T1796A) in 21 patients with thyroid tumors using leftover cells in the needle at the preoperative FNAB. BRAF(T1796A) was detected in 4 patients, of which 3 cases were diagnosed as positive and 1 case as suspicious by cytologic examination. Furthermore, BRAF(T1796A) mutations were found to occur more often in tumors of 3 cm or larger in size. Our results indicate that the preoperative determination of the presence of a BRAF(T1796A) mutation by conventional PCR-RFLP may be potentially useful in the diagnosis of the most common thyroid malignancies.