We evaluated all patients with PTC by conducting a univariate analysis of the effects of various factors on CLNM and found significant associations of CLNM with age >45 years (P=0.014), BMI ≥25 (P=0.008), tumor size ≥1 cm (P=0.001), capsular invasion (P=0.001), and the presence of the BRAF V600E mutation (P<0.001). Here, BRAF is linked to neoplasm.