RET and differentiated thyroid carcinoma: The most common genetic abnormalities associated with papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) are activating mutations in BRAF, the gene for the B-type serine-thereonine kinase RAF, identified from 29 to 83% of patients, and RET/PTC rearrangements detected much less frequently in adult PTCs (Kimura et al, 2003; Namba et al, 2003; Soares et al, 2003; Kim et al, 2004; Santoro et al, 2004; Xing, 2005; Trovisco et al, 2006).