Quest Diagnostics has developed a new molecular test panel designed to help clinicians determine if a thyroid gland is cancerous and requires surgical removal.
The Quest Diagnostics Thyroid Cancer Mutation Panel aids in detecting cancer in thyroid biopsies that are found to be indeterminate for cancer by current cytology test methods, according to the company.
The new panel identifies mutations of the molecular markers BRAF V600E, RAS, RET/PTC, and PAX8/PPAR gamma, which are associated with papillary and follicular thyroid cancer, two common forms of the disease.
The test complements Quest's fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology testing services for thyroid biopsies, and may be used on FNA biopsies ruled indeterminate by these testing services, the company noted.
Results of a study by scientists from Quest found that 90 of 149 FNA specimens, or about 60%, had mutations of one or more of the four markers tested by the new panel. The presence of the four markers was generally mutually exclusive, suggesting potential value in a hierarchical screening strategy for samples with limited tissue.
The study findings will be presented June 4 at the 2012 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.
