[Role of blood and nucleic acid testing in diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma]

Measurement of representative tumor markers of thyroid carcinoma such as serum thyroglobulin, CEA, calcitonin, plays only a limited role in diagnosis of thyroid malignancies. Preoperative diagnosis of follicular carcinoma is quite difficult by means of cytological examinations. In some recent studies, some promising molecular targets in diagnosis of follicular carcinoma were reported. Among them, loss of expression of trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) mRNA is a marker of poorly differentiated thyroid tumors including follicular carcinoma and tumors do not express TFF3 mRNA may be considered to be a subject of surgical resection. To establish clinical tests to diagnose micro papillary carcinoma with poor prognosis, a new hypothesis of thyroid carcinogenesis, the fetal cell carcinogenesis, might be considered.