A multiplex thyroid-specific assay for quantification of circulating thyroid cell-free RNA in plasma of thyroid cancer patients

• Main Authors: Yang, Samantha Peiling, Koh, Winston Lian Chye, Kong, Kiat Whye, Parameswaran, Rajeev, Loke, Kelvin Siu Hoong, Ngiam, Kee Yuan, Tan, Wee Boon, Loh, Thomas, Ng, David Chee Eng, Goh, Boon Cher, Ngeow, Joanne, Tai, E. Shyong
• Other Authors: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Medicine; Thyroid-Specific Transcripts; Thyroglobulin Antibody Positivity
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/154183
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The standard of care for thyroid cancer management is thyroidectomy and adjuvant radioactive iodine (RAI). There is a paucity of clinical tool that quantifies residual thyroid volume reliably for precise adjuvant RAI dosing. Serum thyroglobulin (TG), tumour marker for thyroid cancer, takes 4 weeks for complete clearance due to its long half-life, and might be undetectable in 12% of structural disease patients. It detects recurrence with a sensitivity of 19-40%, mainly attributed to issue of TG antibody interference with TG immunometric assay. We hypothesise that the quantity of thyroid-specific cell-free RNA (cfRNA) is indicative of amount of thyroid tissues, and that during thyroid surgery, cfRNA levels decrease accordingly.