Thyroid Nodules and Genetic Testing

Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Cancer, Head and Neck, Women's Health

Guest post by Marita Teng, MD, Associate Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and member of the Head and Neck Institute and Center for Thyroid and Parathyroid Diseases at The Mount Sinai Hospital.

Thyroid nodules are exceedingly common, especially in women. By age 50, up to 70 percent of women have one or more thyroid nodules, but the vast majority of these are noncancerous. In fact, of all thyroid nodules, up to 95 percent are ultimately characterized as benign.

However, largely because of the increased use of radiologic imaging, the incidence of thyroid nodules – and the incidence of thyroid cancer – is increasing. Though this statistic may seem alarming, thyroid cancer is by far one of the most curable cancers. (more…)