Performance of Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier in Binary Subcategories of Atypia of Undetermined Significance Thyroid Nodules: Single Versus Repeat Diagnosis.

Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) testing has been utilized for further risk stratification of thyroid nodules categorized as atypia of undetermined significance (AUS). The 2023 Bethesda system subcategorizes AUS diagnosis into AUS with nuclear atypia (AUS-N) and other atypia (AUS-O). The current study aims to determine if performance of GSC testing differs between the two AUS subcategories and between single AUS cohort and repeat AUS cohort.

Access to New Clinic Appointments for Patients With Cancer.

Importance: Racial and ethnic disparities have been observed in the outpatient visit rates for specialist care, including cancer care; however, little is known about patients' experience at the critical step of attempting to access new clinic appointments for cancer care.

Objective: To determine simulated English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Mandarin-speaking patient callers' ability to access new clinic appointments for 3 cancer types (colon, lung, and thyroid cancer) that disproportionately impact Hispanic and Asian populations.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional audit study was conducted between November 2021 and March 2023 using 479 clinic telephone numbers that were provided by the hospital general information personnel at 143 hospitals located across 12 US states.

EndoBridge 2023: highlights and pearls.

EndoBridge 2023 took place on October 20-22, 2023, in Antalya, Turkey. Accredited by the European Council, the 3-day scientific program of the 11 Annual Meeting of EndoBridge included state-of-the-art lectures and interactive small group discussion sessions incorporating interesting and challenging clinical cases led by globally recognized leaders in the field and was well attended by a highly diverse audience. Following its established format over the years, the program provided a comprehensive update across all aspects of endocrinology and metabolism, including topics in pituitary, thyroid, bone, and adrenal disorders, neuroendocrine tumors, diabetes mellitus, obesity, nutrition, and lipid disorders.

All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among Low-Risk Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Survivors in the United States.

Despite the excellent disease-specific survival associated with low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), its diagnosis and management have been linked to patient concerns about cancer recurrence, treatment-related health risks, and mortality. Lack of information regarding long-term health outcomes can perpetuate these concerns. Therefore, we assessed all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a large cohort of individuals diagnosed with low-risk DTC.

Social Determinants of Health and Disparities in Thyroid Care.

Background: There have been documented racial and ethnic disparities in the care and clinical outcomes of patients with thyroid disease.

Context: Key to improving disparities in thyroid care is understanding the context for racial and ethnic disparities, which includes acknowledging and addressing social determinants of health. Thyroid disease diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship care are impacted by patient- and system-level factors, including socioeconomic status and economic stability, language, education, health literacy, and health care systems and health policy.

Hidden Disparities: How Language Influences Patients' Access to Cancer Care.

Background: Patients with limited English proficiency, a vulnerable patient population, remain understudied in the literature addressing cancer disparities. Although it is well documented that language discordance between patients and physicians negatively impacts the quality of patient care, little is known about how patients' preferred spoken language impacts their access to cancer care.

Patients And Methods: Between November 2021 and June 2022, we conducted an audit study of 144 hospitals located across 12 demographically diverse states.

Real-World Use of Systemic Therapies for the Treatment of Advanced Thyroid Cancers.

Objective: In the last decade, new systemic treatment options have been made available for patients with advanced thyroid cancer. However, little is known about the real-world utilization of these systemic therapies.

Methods: We used Optum's de-identified Clinformatics® Data Mart Database to characterize trends in the use of 15 systemic therapies that are available for the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer between 2013 and 2021.

Performance of Afirma genomic sequencing classifier and histopathological outcome in Bethesda category III thyroid nodules: Initial versus repeat fine-needle aspiration.

Background: There is limited data comparing the performance of Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) in thyroid nodules carrying an initial versus a repeat diagnosis of atypia of undetermined significance (AUS). This study reported an institutional experience in this regard.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive thyroid nodules that had an initial or a repeat AUS diagnosis and had a subsequent GSC diagnostic result (benign or suspicious) from 2017 to 2021.

The psychosocial impact of thyroid cancer.

Purpose Of Review: This review discusses the psychosocial impact of thyroid cancer diagnosis and management. It summarizes recent findings, presents management options, and briefly discusses future directions.

Recent Findings: A thyroid cancer diagnosis and its downstream management can impact patients in a variety of ways, including contributing to distress, worry, worse quality of life, and in some cases, anxiety and depression.

Access Denied: Disparities in Thyroid Cancer Clinical Trials.

For thyroid cancer clinical trials, the inclusion of participants from diverse patient populations is uniquely important given existing racial/ethnic disparities in thyroid cancer care. Since 2011, a paradigm shift has occurred in the treatment of advanced thyroid cancer with the approval of multiple systemic therapies by the US Food and Drug Administration based on their use in the clinical trials setting. Although these clinical trials recruited patients from up to 164 sites in 25 countries, the inclusion of racial/ethnic minority patients remained low.

Physician-Reported Barriers to Osteoporosis Screening: A Nationwide Survey.

Objective: Despite increased awareness, osteoporosis screening rates remain low. The objective of this survey study was to identify physician-reported barriers to osteoporosis screening.

Methods: We conducted a survey of 600 physician members of the Endocrine Society, American Academy of Family Practice, and American Geriatrics Society.

Thyroid cancer.

The past 5-10 years have brought in a new era in the care of patients with thyroid cancer, with the introduction of transformative diagnostic and management options. Several international ultrasound-based thyroid nodule risk stratification systems have been developed with the goal of reducing unnecessary biopsies. Less invasive alternatives to surgery for low-risk thyroid cancer, such as active surveillance and minimally invasive interventions, are being explored.

Banking on Fertility Preservation: Financial Concern for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Patients Considering Oncofertility Services.

Financial concern is a major issue for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients. Furthermore, unaddressed oncofertility challenges (e.g.

The relative importance of treatment outcomes to surgeons' recommendations for low-risk thyroid cancer.

Background: The treatment of low-risk thyroid cancer is controversial. We evaluated the importance of treatment outcomes to surgeons' recommendations.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey asked thyroid surgeons for their treatment recommendations for a healthy 45-year-old patient with a solitary, low-risk, 2-cm papillary thyroid cancer.

Thyroid Carcinoma, Version 2.2022, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology.

Differentiated thyroid carcinomas is associated with an excellent prognosis. The treatment of choice for differentiated thyroid carcinoma is surgery, followed by radioactive iodine ablation (iodine-131) in select patients and thyroxine therapy in most patients. Surgery is also the main treatment for medullary thyroid carcinoma, and kinase inhibitors may be appropriate for select patients with recurrent or persistent disease that is not resectable.

Variation in the Diagnosis of Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-like Nuclear Features.

Context: Noninvasive encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer was reclassified as noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) in January 2017. The impact of this nomenclature change at a population level remains unknown.

Objective: Examine use of NIFTP across different US regions and populations.

Association of Thyroid Hormone Treatment Intensity With Cardiovascular Mortality Among US Veterans.

Importance: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Synthetic thyroid hormones are among the 3 most commonly prescribed medications, yet studies evaluating the association between the intensity of thyroid hormone treatment and cardiovascular mortality are scarce.

Objective: To evaluate the association between thyroid hormone treatment intensity and cardiovascular mortality.