Thyroid-cancer-associated genetic alterations in the PI3K signaling pathway mainly occur in three categories of genes: genes encoding phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PIK3CA) α catalytic subunit, the serine-threonine protein kinase AKT, and phosphatase and tensin homolog phosphatase (PTEN). The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is thyroid cancer.