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Diagnostic sensitivity of fine-needle aspiration cytology in thyroid cancer

Lind, Patrik ; Jacobson, Anton ; Nordenström, Erik LU ; Johansson, Lars LU ; Wallin, Göran and Daskalakis, Kosmas (2024) In Scientific Reports 14(1).
Abstract

Introduction Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an effective tool in the diagnostic work-up of patients with thyroid nodules. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC in thyroid cancer (TC) in Sweden by correlating the findings of preoperative FNAC with those obtained through final histology of the surgical specimen. Methods A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing patient FNAC and histology reports. Results Among the 2519 cases operated with a final diagnosis of TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated... (More)

Introduction Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an effective tool in the diagnostic work-up of patients with thyroid nodules. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC in thyroid cancer (TC) in Sweden by correlating the findings of preoperative FNAC with those obtained through final histology of the surgical specimen. Methods A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing patient FNAC and histology reports. Results Among the 2519 cases operated with a final diagnosis of TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated through the histology report in 2332 cases (92.6%), included in the present study. Among these, 1679 patients (72%) were female and the median age at TC diagnosis was 52.3 years (range 18-94.6). In 353 cases (15.1%) FNAC was not performed at all; whereas in the remaining 1965 cases, the diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC was 81.6%. In lesions > 1 cm, FNAC diagnostic sensitivity reached 86.5%, whereas in lesions < 1 cm, FNAC yielded a sensitivity of 61.5%. Approximately 85% of FNACs (n = 1981/2332) were performed using ultra-sonographic (US) guidance. In TC lesions > 1 cm, the diagnostic sensitivity of US-guided FNAC (n = 1504) was 86.9% as compared to 76.9% in clinically applied FNAC without US utilization (n = 118). Conclusions FNAC is performed in most patients operated for TC in Sweden (85%) and retains its value as a tool in TC diagnostic work-up with an overall sensitivity of 82%, reaching 87% in lesions > 1 cm, that harbor clinically relevant TC.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Diagnostic sensitivity, Fine-needle aspiration cytology, Thyroid cancer
in
Scientific Reports
volume
14
issue
1
article number
24216
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:39414928
  • scopus:85206457491
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/s41598-024-75677-7
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
14fe7f8a-9330-453c-98a8-58faa3508ae3
date added to LUP
2024-11-26 14:02:46
date last changed
2025-07-09 08:43:32
@article{14fe7f8a-9330-453c-98a8-58faa3508ae3,
  abstract     = {{<p>Introduction Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is an effective tool in the diagnostic work-up of patients with thyroid nodules. The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC in thyroid cancer (TC) in Sweden by correlating the findings of preoperative FNAC with those obtained through final histology of the surgical specimen. Methods A Swedish nationwide cohort of patients having surgery for TC (n = 2519) from the Scandinavian Quality Register for Thyroid, Parathyroid and Adrenal surgery between 2004 and 2013 was obtained. Data was validated through scrutinizing patient FNAC and histology reports. Results Among the 2519 cases operated with a final diagnosis of TC, the diagnosis was substantiated and validated through the histology report in 2332 cases (92.6%), included in the present study. Among these, 1679 patients (72%) were female and the median age at TC diagnosis was 52.3 years (range 18-94.6). In 353 cases (15.1%) FNAC was not performed at all; whereas in the remaining 1965 cases, the diagnostic sensitivity of FNAC was 81.6%. In lesions &gt; 1 cm, FNAC diagnostic sensitivity reached 86.5%, whereas in lesions &lt; 1 cm, FNAC yielded a sensitivity of 61.5%. Approximately 85% of FNACs (n = 1981/2332) were performed using ultra-sonographic (US) guidance. In TC lesions &gt; 1 cm, the diagnostic sensitivity of US-guided FNAC (n = 1504) was 86.9% as compared to 76.9% in clinically applied FNAC without US utilization (n = 118). Conclusions FNAC is performed in most patients operated for TC in Sweden (85%) and retains its value as a tool in TC diagnostic work-up with an overall sensitivity of 82%, reaching 87% in lesions &gt; 1 cm, that harbor clinically relevant TC.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lind, Patrik and Jacobson, Anton and Nordenström, Erik and Johansson, Lars and Wallin, Göran and Daskalakis, Kosmas}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  keywords     = {{Diagnostic sensitivity; Fine-needle aspiration cytology; Thyroid cancer}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{Diagnostic sensitivity of fine-needle aspiration cytology in thyroid cancer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-75677-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41598-024-75677-7}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}