The Role and Importance of Molecular Tests in Approach to Thyroid Nodules

Abstract

Although there is a significant increase in the detection of thyroid cancer because of the widespread utilization of ultrasound and fine needle aspiration biopsy, sometimes these techniques prove inefficient for diagnosis. Therefore, improved diagnostic tools are required. Increasing knowledge regarding thyroid cancer genetics has revived molecular testing. The possibility of thyroid malignancy can be considered or ruled out because of the high accuracy of results, such as 90% positive predictive value (PPV) and 96% negative predictive value (NPV), obtained from the molecular tests. Although the molecular biology of all thyroid cancers has not been completely understood, the remarkable progress done in this domain has widened the horizon of their diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

Keywords

• thyroid cancer
• thyroid nodule
• molecular test
• braf
• ras
• ret/ptc