Incidental thyroid nodules: Race/ethnicity disparities and outcomes

Abstract

Objective: Black patients have a significantly lower incidence of well-differentiated thyroid cancer (WDTC) compared to all other race/ethnic groups, while white patients appear to be at greater risk. This study examines incidental thyroid nodules (ITNs) to assess whether racial disparities in WDTC arise from a differential discovery of ITNs—perhaps due to socioeconomic disparities—or reflect true differences in thyroid cancer rates. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all patients who underwent fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of thyroid nodules by our academic medical center's endocrinology division between January 2006 and December 2010. Medical records were reviewed to identify whether the biopsied thyroid nodule was discovered incidentally through nonthyroid-related imaging or identified by palpation. Results: FNAs were performed on 1,369 total thyroid nodules in 1,141 study patients; 547 (48%) were classified as white, and 593 (52%) were classified as nonwhite. Among this cohort, 36.6% of patients underwent biopsy for an ITN. White patients were 1.6 times more likely to have undergone a biopsy for a nodule that was incidentally identified compared to nonwhites (P