title: Diminishing diagnosis of follicular thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Follicular carcinomas have been reported as 10% to 15% of thyroid malignancies. Refinements in the histologic criteria applied in the classification of follicular lesions have occurred. We aim to document the true incidence of follicular cancers in a cohort from a high-volume endocrine practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient charts were reviewed and cancers were classified into major subtypes; papillary cancers were further classified by common variants. Proportions were compared to historic Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database proportions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only 2.7% of patients had follicular carcinoma. The proportion of patients with follicular cancer was less than the reported rates of 10% to 15%, and less than the 6.7% extrapolated from SEER.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of follicular cancers is less than traditionally reported. This change is due to an increased incidence of papillary cancers, and modifications of the histologic criteria used for classification of encapsulated follicular lesions. There are potential prognostic consequences, as follicular cancers have been perceived as more aggressive.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA. kotto@ent.umsmed.edu
authors.forename: Kristen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.forename: Jacqueline S C
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: MacMillan
authors.forename: Jeremy L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D018263:Adenocarcinoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult