Veracyte’s first test is the only one that rules out cancer. A lump, or nodule, is caused by growths of cells in the thyroid gland, which is located in the base of the neck. Most often these growths are not cancers. To figure out whether they are, doctors will first take a small needle to extract cells from the lump and then look at the cells under the microscope. And up to 30 percent of the time in U.S. clinics, that test is inconclusive. Because cancer can’t be ruled out, typically the next step is to remove the thyroid. The gland normally produces important hormones that regulate metabolism and other body functions, so patients usually then have to take hormone replacement therapy for the rest of their lives.
Between 60 and 80 percent of the time, the nodule in the removed thyroid turns out to be benign.
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