- Fine needle aspiration cytology diagnoses of follicular thyroid carcinoma: results from a multicenter study in Asia
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Hee Young Na, Miyoko Higuchi, Shinya Satoh, Kaori Kameyama, Chan Kwon Jung, Su-Jin Shin, Shipra Agarwal, Jen-Fan Hang, Yun Zhu, Zhiyan Liu, Andrey Bychkov, Kennichi Kakudo, So Yeon Park
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J Pathol Transl Med. 2024;58(6):331-340. Published online November 7, 2024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2024.10.12
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Abstract
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- Background
This study was designed to compare diagnostic categories of thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and incidence of thyroid tumors in the multi-institutional Asian series with a special focus on diagnostic category IV (suspicious for a follicular neoplasm) and follicular thyroid carcinomas (FTCs). Methods: Distribution of FNAC categories, incidence of thyroid tumors in resection specimens and cytologic diagnoses of surgically confirmed follicular adenomas (FAs) and FTCs were collected from 10 institutes from five Asian countries and were compared among countries and between FAs and FTCs. Results: The frequency of category IV diagnoses (3.0%) in preoperative FNAC were significantly lower compared to those in Western countries (10.1%). When comparing diagnostic categories among Asian countries, category IV was more frequent in Japan (4.6%) and India (7.9%) than in Taiwan (1.4%), Korea (1.4%), and China (3.6%). Similarly, incidence of FAs and FTCs in surgical resection specimens was significantly higher in Japan (10.9%) and India (10.1%) than in Taiwan (5.5%), Korea (3.0%), and China (2.5%). FTCs were more commonly diagnosed as category IV in Japan (77.5%) than in Korea (33.3%) and China (35.0%). Nuclear pleomorphism, nuclear crowding, microfollicular pattern, and dyshesive cell pattern were more common in FTCs compared with FAs. Conclusions: Our study highlighted the difference in FNAC diagnostic categories of FTCs among Asian countries, which is likely related to different reporting systems and thyroid cancer incidence. Cytologic features such as nuclear pleomorphism, nuclear crowding, microfollicular pattern, and dyshesive cell pattern were found to be useful in diagnosing FTCs more effectively.
- The Asian Thyroid Working Group, from 2017 to 2023
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Kennichi Kakudo, Chan Kwon Jung, Zhiyan Liu, Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa, Andrey Bychkov, Huy Gia Vuong, Somboon Keelawat, Radhika Srinivasan, Jen-Fan Hang, Chiung-Ru Lai
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J Pathol Transl Med. 2023;57(6):289-304. Published online November 14, 2023
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2023.10.04
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Abstract
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- The Asian Thyroid Working Group was founded in 2017 at the 12th Asia Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA) Congress in Busan, Korea. This group activity aims to characterize Asian thyroid nodule practice and establish strict diagnostic criteria for thyroid carcinomas, a reporting system for thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology without the aid of gene panel tests, and new clinical guidelines appropriate to conservative Asian thyroid nodule practice based on scientific evidence obtained from Asian patient cohorts. Asian thyroid nodule practice is usually designed for patient-centered clinical practice, which is based on the Hippocratic Oath, “First do not harm patients,” and an oriental filial piety “Do not harm one’s own body because it is a precious gift from parents,” which is remote from defensive medical practice in the West where physicians, including pathologists, suffer from severe malpractice climate. Furthermore, Asian practice emphasizes the importance of resource management in navigating the overdiagnosis of low-risk thyroid carcinomas. This article summarizes the Asian Thyroid Working Group activities in the past 7 years, from 2017 to 2023, highlighting the diversity of thyroid nodule practice between Asia and the West and the background reasons why Asian clinicians and pathologists modified Western systems significantly.
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Citations
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Sang Yi Moon, Minkook Son, Jung-Hwan Cho, Hye In Kim, Ji Min Han, Ji Cheol Bae, Sunghwan Suh Thyroid®.2025; 35(1): 79. CrossRef - Letter to Editor: “High Rates of Unnecessary Surgery for Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules in the Absence of Molecular Test and the Cost-Effectiveness of Utilizing Molecular Test in an Asian Population: A Decision Analysis” by Fung et al.
Kennichi Kakudo, Andrey Bychkov, Jen-Fan Hang, Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa, Somboon Keelawat, Zhiyan Liu, Radhika Srinivasan, Chan Kwon Jung Thyroid®.2025;[Epub] CrossRef - Thyroid Nodules with Nuclear Atypia of Undetermined Significance (AUS-Nuclear) Hold a Two-Times-Higher Risk of Malignancy than AUS-Other Nodules Regardless of EU-TIRADS Class of the Nodule or Borderline Tumor Interpretation
Dorota Słowińska-Klencka, Bożena Popowicz, Joanna Duda-Szymańska, Mariusz Klencki Cancers.2025; 17(8): 1365. CrossRef - Response to Kakudo et al.: “High Rates of Unnecessary Surgery for Indeterminate Thyroid Nodules in the Absence of Molecular Test and the Cost-Effectiveness of Utilizing Molecular Test in an Asian Population: A Decision Analysis”
Man Him Matrix Fung, Ching Tang, Gin Wai Kwok, Tin Ho Chan, Yan Luk, David Tak Wai Lui, Carlos King Ho Wong, Brian Hung Hin Lang Thyroid®.2025;[Epub] CrossRef - Welcoming the new, revisiting the old: a brief glance at cytopathology reporting systems for lung, pancreas, and thyroid
Rita Luis, Balamurugan Thirunavukkarasu, Deepali Jain, Sule Canberk Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine.2024; 58(4): 165. CrossRef - Are we ready to bridge classification systems? A comprehensive review of different reporting systems in thyroid cytology
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Maria Boudina, Eleana Zisimopoulou, Persefoni Xirou, Alexandra Chrisoulidou Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 13(20): 6119. CrossRef - Fine needle aspiration cytology diagnoses of follicular thyroid carcinoma: results from a multicenter study in Asia
Hee Young Na, Miyoko Higuchi, Shinya Satoh, Kaori Kameyama, Chan Kwon Jung, Su-Jin Shin, Shipra Agarwal, Jen-Fan Hang, Yun Zhu, Zhiyan Liu, Andrey Bychkov, Kennichi Kakudo, So Yeon Park Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine.2024; 58(6): 331. CrossRef
- History and Practice of Thyroid Fine-Needle Aspiration in China, Based on Retrospective Study of the Practice in Shandong University Qilu Hospital
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Zhiyan Liu, Dongge Liu, Bowen Ma, Xiaofang Zhang, Peng Su, Li Chen, Qingdong Zeng
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J Pathol Transl Med. 2017;51(6):528-532. Published online October 19, 2017
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2017.09.12
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8,130
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103
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13
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- Cytology in China developed from nothing and underwent a long journey from gynecologic cytology to that of all organs, laying a solid foundation for new developments in the 21st century. Thyroid fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was primarily developed in an endocrinology department and then in the clinical laboratory department or pathology department in the 1970–80s. Wrights staining is popular in endocrine and clinical laboratory departments, while hematoxylin and eosin staining is common in pathology. Liquid based cytology is not common in thyroid FNA cytology, while BRAFV600E mutation analysis has been the most popular molecular test. The history and practice of thyroid FNA practice in China were reviewed based on retrospective study of the practice in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University.
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Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by 
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Kennichi Kakudo, Chan Kwon Jung, Zhiyan Liu, Mitsuyoshi Hirokawa, Andrey Bychkov, Huy Gia Vuong, Somboon Keelawat, Radhika Srinivasan, Jen-Fan Hang, Chiung-Ru Lai Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine.2023; 57(6): 289. CrossRef - Malignancy rates in thyroid nodules: a long-term cohort study of 17,592 patients
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