Evaluation of Incidental Thyroid Nodules in Cancer Patients
- PMID: 29173938
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jnma.2017.02.011
Evaluation of Incidental Thyroid Nodules in Cancer Patients
Abstract
Objective: Frequency of thyroid cancer in incidental thyroid nodules identified by imaging techniques in cancer patients is higher than that in the normal population. In the retrospective study, we have both investigated the incidence of thyroid cancer in incidentally identified nodules and compared the imaging techniques to determine whether there is any difference between them in detection of malign nodules.
Methods: A total of 7319 patients who underwent thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) were included in the study. The data of 174 patients who had previously been diagnosed with a hematologic or solid malignancy prior to the FNAB procedure and had incidentally identified thyroid nodules were evaluated retrospectively.
Results: Eighty-six (49.5%) of the incidental nodules were identified with ultrasonography (USG), 62 (35.6%) with positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (PET/CT), and 26 (14.9%) with CT. As a result of thyroidectomy, papillary carcinoma was identified in 8 (4.6%) patients, and metastasis to the thyroid of a primary cancer was found in 3 (1.7%) patients. While the papillary carcinoma proportion in the nodules identified by USG was 3.4%, PET/CT was 8.9%. A cut-off maximal standardized uptake value of 11.6 in PET/CT indicated malignancy achieving a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 91.1%.
Conclusion: Whether the nodule in the incidental thyroid nodules of cancer patients is identified using USG or PET/CT, the risk of thyroid cancer is similar. However, cancer risk is higher in the event of a higher focal uptake in the nodules identified by PET/CT.
Keywords: Incidental thyroid nodule; Second malignancy; Thyroid cancer.
Copyright © 2017 National Medical Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
The relationship between positron emission tomography-computed tomography imaging and histopathological features of thyroid incidentalomas detected during follow-up for primary malignancy.J Cancer Res Ther. 2019 Jul-Sep;15(3):589-595. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_889_16. J Cancer Res Ther. 2019. PMID: 31169225
-
Incidental thyroid nodules on COVID-19-related thoracic tomography scans: a giant cohort.Hormones (Athens). 2024 Jun;23(2):227-233. doi: 10.1007/s42000-023-00516-9. Epub 2023 Dec 16. Hormones (Athens). 2024. PMID: 38103164
-
Incidentally Discovered Thyroid Nodules by Routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Cervical Spine: Incidence and Clinical Significance.Curr Med Imaging. 2020;16(6):677-681. doi: 10.2174/1573405615666190220105229. Curr Med Imaging. 2020. PMID: 32723238
-
The role of [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose-positron emission tomography in thyroid nodules with indeterminate fine-needle aspiration biopsy: systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature.Cancer. 2011 Oct 15;117(20):4582-94. doi: 10.1002/cncr.26085. Epub 2011 Mar 22. Cancer. 2011. PMID: 21432844 Review.
-
[Diagnostic work-up of euthyroid nodules: which nodules should undergo fine-needle aspiration biopsy? Relevance of ultrasound].Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2009 Dec;134(49):2498-503. doi: 10.1055/s-0029-1243052. Epub 2009 Nov 25. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2009. PMID: 19941231 Review. German.
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Research Materials