Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34708178›Full record

ArticleJournal of the Endocrine Society2021

Comparison of Afirma GEC and GSC to Nodules Without Molecular Testing in Cytologically Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules.

Preethi Polavarapu, Abbey Fingeret, Ana Yuil-Valdes, Daniel Olson, Anery Patel, Vijay Shivaswamy, Troy D Matthias, Whitney Goldner

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of the Endocrine Society, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 10% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 21 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Real-World Performance of the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC)-A Meta-analysis.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. The Diagnostic Performance of Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier in Black and Hispanic Patients With Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules.Otolaryngology--head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
    Article
  5. The actual and future role of molecular tests in thyroid pathology.Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Preethi PolavarapuDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6625-7779
Abbey FingeretDepartment of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Omaha, NE, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0526-6364
Ana Yuil-ValdesDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Daniel OlsonDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health System, Omaha, NE, USA.
Anery PatelDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Vijay ShivaswamyDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3301-4965
Troy D MatthiasDepartment of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
Whitney GoldnerDepartment of Internal Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, Metabolism, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9724-7987
University of Nebraska Medical Center · USUnityPoint Health · USUniversity of Nebraska at Omaha · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnalysis of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules with Afirma Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) and Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC) can reduce surgical rate and increase malignancy rate of surgically resected indeterminate nodules.

methodsRetrospective cohort analysis of all adults with cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules from January 2013 through December 2019. We compared surgical and malignancy rates of those without molecular testing to those with GEC or GSC, analyzed test performance between GEC and GSC, and identified variables associated with molecular testing.

results468 indeterminate thyroid nodules were included. No molecular testing was performed in 273, 71 had GEC, and 124 had GSC testing. Surgical rate was 68% in the group without molecular testing, 59% in GEC, and 40% in GSC. Malignancy rate was 20% with no molecular testing, 22% in GEC, and 39% in GSC (

conclusionImplementation of GEC showed no effect on surgical or malignancy rate, but GSC resulted in significantly lower surgical and higher malignancy rates. This study provides insight into the factors that affect the real-world use of these molecular markers preoperatively in indeterminate thyroid nodules.

Indexed as

Afirma Gene Expression ClassifierAfirma Genomic Sequencing ClassifierBethesda IIIBethesda IVGECGSCindeterminate thyroid FNA cytopathologythyroid nodule

Identifiers

PMID34708178
PMCPMC8543699
OpenAlexW3206758769

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.