Raza SN et al. - Taking individual risk factors in isolation is not always reliable. Using a predictive model, one can anticipate a patient's risk of malignancy when the diagnosis is unclear. Methods
Study to (i) evaluate current accepted risk factors for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and (ii) develop a predictive model to determine one's risk of malignancy
Retrospective analysis of 600 pts with benign thyroid nodular disease and thyroid cancer were randomly selected
Patient, clinical, and investigational data were compared
Results
Age, regional lymphadenopathy, ipsilateral vocal cord palsy, solid and/or calcified nodules, and an aspiration biopsy being malignant or suspicious predicted for cancer
Regional lymphadenopathy and vocal cord palsy were perfect predictors of malignancy
Age, solid and/or calcified nodules, and all fine-needle aspiration biopsy results were significant in assessing risk
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