Molecular markers in thyroid cancer diagnostics.
Although fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) remains the mainstay of the preoperative workup of thyroid nodules, it does not provide a diagnosis in up to 20% of nodules. This group of indeterminate lesions, including lesions with cellular atypia, suspicious cytology, and demonstrating a follicular pattern, provides one of the greatest challenges to researchers in thyroid cancer today. Over the last 2 decades, considerable work has been done to find molecular markers to resolve this diagnostic dilemma. This article explores some of the markers including galectin-3, HBME-1, BRAF, RET/PTC, PAX8-PPARgamma, hTERT, telomerase, miRNA, and microarray and multigene assays. Although no one marker has proven to be a panacea, several combinations of markers have shown great promise as an adjunct to FNA.
Kato
Meredith A
MA
Division of Endocrine Surgery, Department of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10068, USA. mek2002@med.cornell.edu
Fahey
Thomas J
TJ
D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
D015415:Biomarkers