Veracyte Afirma®: Test for Benign Thyroid Nodules

Thyroid FNA Analysis, prelaunch educationl developed in collaboration with opinion leaders at Johns Hopkins, NIH, and the University of Colorado

In the diagnosis of thyroid cancer, 500,000 biopsies are analyzed each year. These analyses can be challenging to interpret and produce inconclusive results in up to 30% of cases. Current guidelines recommend that most of these patients go to surgery. However, the majority (approximately 100,000 patients per year in the US) end up being benign. By accurately identifying benign nodules, the Afirma test can avoid surgery in a large number of these patients.

In collaboration with opinion leaders at Johns Hopkins, NIH, and the University of Colorado, Medical Minds developed prelaunch programs to educate endocrinologists on the clinical situation in the assessment of thyroid nodules, current testing options, and potential contribution of molecular cytology to patient outcomes and cost savings to the healthcare system. This included a 120 slide library and symposia at the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), both of which were oversubscribed.

Current diagnostic tests generate indeterminate results for one third of people with thyroid nodules

Afirma has the potential to identify benign nodules and avoid 100,000 surgeries annually

Educational Program

• Developed in collaboration with KOLs at Johns Hopkins, NIH, and University of Colorado
• 120 slide library
• Symposia and posters at major thyroid meetings