Tumors and matched normal thyroid samples were tested for RAS, for the v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene (BRAF) substitution of valine (V) for glutamate (E) at codon 600 (the V600E mutation), for phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), for catalytic PI3k p110 subunit alpha (PIK3CA), for AKT, and for the presence of rearranged during transfection (ret) proto-oncogene/PTC (RET-PTC) and paired box-8 (PAX8)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) fusion protein (PAX8-PPARgamma) rearrangements by direct sequencing and reverse transcriptase-polymerases chain reaction analyses, respectively.