Molecular testing is used in two scenarios:

1. Thyroid nodules that are indeterminate on fine needle aspiration biopsy
2. Thyroid cancers that require systemic chemotherapy.

If you have a thyroid nodule, you may be advised to undergo a fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy. Although most nodules come back benign, there are some that fall into the “indeterminate” category.  These include:

• Follicular Lesion of Undetermined Significance (FLUS)
• Atypia of Undetermined Significance (AUS)
• Follicular Neoplasm
• Hurthle Cell Neoplasm

In these cases, the biopsy can’t accurately predict whether the nodule is benign or cancerous.  For these, we typically recommend molecular testing that detects DNA and RNA mutations within the nodule that are suspicious for thyroid cancer.  Therefore, we can more accurately predict whether the nodule is benign or whether the nodule needs surgical intervention.

Before going to surgery, ask whether you would be a candidate for molecular testing.  And if you’re already a patient here, molecular testing is always offered for our patients that require a biopsy.