The overall frequency of RET/PTC rearrangements in PTC was 14% (12 of 85), including 7 RET/PTC1, 2 RET/PTC3, 1 deltaRFP/RET and 2 apparently uncharacterized rearrangements.     ///    "Neither RET/PTC rearrangements nor BRAF muta-tions were detected in any of 3 follicular thyroid carcinomas, 11 follicular adenomas and 13 nodular goiters. "    ///    The high prevalence of BRAF mutations and RET/PTC rearrangements in PTCs and the specificity of these alterations to PTC make them potentially important markers for the preoperative tumor diagnosis..     ///    We have analyzed a series of 118 benign and malignant follicular cell-derived thyroid tumors for RET/PTC rearrangements and BRAF gene mutations.     ///    "Taken together, our observations are consistent with the notion that BRAF mutations appear to be an alternative pathway to oncogenic MAPK activation in PTCs without RET/PTC activation. "    ///    "Moreover, there was no overlap between PTC harboring BRAF and RET/PTC mutations, which altogether were present in 75.8% of cases (69 of 91). "