In thyroid cancer, several GWASs were conducted in European descent patients8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with thyroid cancer risk were identified, including markers near FOXE1, NKX2-1, DIRC3, NRG1, IMMP2L, RARRES1, SNAPC4, BATF, DHX35, GALNTL4, HTR1B and FOXA2. Among these, only the signals at FOXE1, NKX2-1, DIRC3 and NRG1 were confirmed in different populations, including Japanese, Chinese, Polish and British, by targeted genotyping methods15, 16, 17, 18. This evidence concerns the gene NRG1 and thyroid cancer.