In addition, multifactorial analysis further showed that age (OR = 3.380, P < 0.01), maximum diameter of thyroid nodules (OR = 2.228, P < 0.01; OR = 4.795, P < 0.01), BRAF V600E gene mutation (OR = 6.410, P < 0.01), and capsular invasion (OR = 1.507, P = 0.027) were independent risk factors for CLNM (Table 4). Here, BRAF is linked to thyroid nodule.