TERT and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes: Statistically meaningful association was found between BRAF V600E /TERT promoter co-mutations and lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.24, 95%CI = 1.53–3.29, P < 0.01, I2 = 8%, Fig. 2a), multifocality (OR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.07–2.16, P = 0.02, I2 = 57%, Fig. 2b), dead of disease (OR = 12.63, 95%CI = 6.85–23.27, P < 0.01, I2 = 22%, Fig. 2c), distant metastasis (OR = 10.17, 95%CI = 5.39–19.22, P < 0.01, I2 = 39%, Fig. 3a), tumor recurrence (OR = 8.20, 95%CI = 4.97–13.54, P < 0.01, I2 = 66%, Fig. 3b), and extrathyroidal extension (OR = 5.02, 95%CI = 3.32–7.59, P < 0.01, I2 = 0%, Fig. 3c).