Development of Liquid Biopsy Technologies for Noninvasive Cancer Diagnostics in Patients With Suspicious Thyroid Nodules or Thyroid Cancer

This study is being done to help researchers learn more about and successfully diagnose cancer using blood samples and tissue samples from surgeries in patients with suspicious thyroid nodules or thyroid cancer. Diagnosing cancer in this way, as opposed to biopsies, may be less invasive to the patient. Analyzing blood and tissues samples may also help researchers to differentiate non-cancerous tumors from thyroid cancer and detect high-risk mutations to guide treatment.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. Sensitivity and specificity of molecular profile of thyroid derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as predictor of thyroid cancer. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Quantity of thyroid derived EVs captured in various stages of thyroid cancer. II. Whether quantity of EVs decreases in proportion to response to therapy in thyroid cancer patients. III. Optimal ribonucleic acid (RNA)/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) panel in thyroid tumor derived EVs to diagnose thyroid cancer. OUTLINE: Patients undergo collection of blood samples on the day of surgery following anesthesia but prior to incision and approximately 4-6 weeks after surgery. Patients who undergo remnant ablation after total thyroidectomy with radioactive iodine have an additional blood sample collected. Patients also undergo collection of tissue samples following surgical resection of the thyroid. Patients' medical records are also reviewed.