Veracyte Gene Test May Limit Thyroid Cancer Surgeries
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A gene test made by closely held Veracyte Inc. may determine whether cancer exists in thyroid tumor samples that were inconclusive after biopsies, a study found, potentially ending thousands of unnecessary surgeries.
From 15 percent to 30 percent of thyroid nodules evaluated by fine-needle biopsies can’t clearly be defined as malignant or benign, leading most doctors to recommend removing part or all of the gland as a precaution, said Erik Alexander, the lead study author and a doctor with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Woman’s Hospital in Boston.