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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
Risk factors for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma in patients with thyroid nodular disease
S Naweed Raza1, Manish D Shah, Carsten E Palme
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronoto, Canada. razasn@mcmaster.ca
Objectives:
Evaluate current accepted risk factors for well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and develop a predictive model to determine one's risk of malignancy given a thyroid nodule.
Study Design:
Retrospective analysis of 600 patients.
Subjects And Methods:
Patients with benign thyroid nodular disease and with well-differentiated thyroid cancer were randomly selected. Patient, clinical, and investigational data were compared by means of univariate and multivariate regression analyses.
Results:
Age, regional lymphadenopathy, ipsilateral vocal cord palsy, solid and/or calcified nodules, and an aspiration biopsy being malignant or suspicious predicted for cancer (P < 0.05). Regional lymphadenopathy and vocal cord palsy are perfect predictors of malignancy. Multivariate analysis indicated age, solid and/or calcified nodules, and all fine-needle aspiration biopsy results to be significant in assessing risk (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
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.
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