Pitfalls in Molecular-Based Diagnosis Using Thyroid Aspirates

Some molecular-based diagnostic kits using thyroid aspirates are now available commercially. However, since they are very expensive and show limited sensitivity in diagnosing thyroid carcinoma, they have proved their utilities only in limited clinical situations. Situations surrounding molecular-based diagnosis of thyroid tumor are now undergoing a drastic change. Introduction of some new classifications in thyroid pathology, such as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP), changed the clinical significance of molecular-based diagnosis. Some recent studies revealed surprising features of natural history of thyroid cancer, which suggested the limitation of conventional omics analyses.