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Practice Paradigms Before and After Introduction of the Diagnosis-Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP): an Institutional Experience

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Abstract

The recently adopted terminology of “Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features” (NIFTP) reflects the indolent behavior of these tumors. In contrast to conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas, NIFTP can be managed conservatively. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in surgical and pathologic practice patterns at our institution since the introduction of the NIFTP diagnosis in 2016. A retrospective analysis of all thyroid specimens received in our laboratory between January 2015 and April 2017 was performed. The final cohort consisted of 1508 thyroidectomy specimens from 1508 patients (1153 (76.5%) women and 355 (23.5%) men), of which 1011 (67%) were total thyroidectomies and 497 (33%) were partial thyroidectomies. There were 558 (69.2%) total thyroidectomies and 248 (30.8%) partial thyroidectomies performed prior to introduction of the NIFTP diagnosis and 453 (64.5%) and 249 (35.5%) total and partial thyroidectomies, respectively, after the change in nomenclature. Within a year following the initial use of this diagnosis, 67 NIFTP cases were identified (9.5% of all thyroidectomies), whereas compared with the year preceding it, malignant diagnoses decreased from 54.5 (439) to 44.6% (313), and the benign category remained unchanged from 44.5 (367) to 45.9% (322). For the entirely submitted 67 NIFTP cases, the mean number of blocks submitted was 14.7 (0.98 blocks/g); for malignant lesions 17.7 (0.92 blocks/g); and for benign lesions 16.6 (0.75 blocks/g). The results of our study suggest that NIFTP are encountered in almost 10% of thyroidectomies at our institution with expected shifts in cytology and surgical pathology diagnoses as a result of the change in nomenclature. During this time period, significant shifts towards less aggressive surgical management were not observed. All 67 NIFTP nodules were submitted entirely with no significant difference in the number of cassettes submitted for NIFTP nodules as compared with follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), classic variant PTC, or follicular adenoma.

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Acknowledgments

Part of the content of this paper was presented at the 2020 USCAP Stowell-Orbison poster session on Monday, March 02, 2020, in Los Angeles, CA (abstract #886).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 6 Founders. 3400 Spruce street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Levon Katsakhyan, Sharon Song, Marcos Lepe, Hadi Shojaei, Kathleen T. Montone, Virginia A. LiVolsi & Zubair W. Baloch

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  1. Levon Katsakhyan
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  2. Sharon Song
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Correspondence to Levon Katsakhyan.

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This study was approved by the University of Pennsylvania institutional review board. The procedures used in this study adhere to the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Katsakhyan, L., Song, S., Lepe, M. et al. Practice Paradigms Before and After Introduction of the Diagnosis-Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP): an Institutional Experience. Endocr Pathol 31, 174–181 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12022-020-09614-5

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