The BRAF(V599E) mutation appears to be an alternative event to RET/PTC rearrangement rather than to RAS mutations, which are rare in PTC.     ///    BRAF mutations and RET/PTC rearrangements are alternative events in the etiopathogenesis of PTC..     ///    PTC with RET/PTC rearrangement as well as the TPC-1 cell line (the only one harboring RET/PTC rearrangement) did not show the BRAF(V599E) mutation.     ///    BRAF(V599E) may represent an alternative pathway to oncogenic MAPK activation in PTCs without RET/PTC activation.. 