The performance of various laboratory parameters to differentiate follicular thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid adenoma

Background: Thyroid cancer continues to be a problem all over the world, with the number of cases increasing year after year. We aimed to examine the association between various laboratory parameters and follicular-type thyroid nodules. We also examined the performance of several parameters to differentiate malignant and benign follicular thyroid lesions. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study to determine the association between various laboratory parameters and follicular-type thyroid nodules in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya. Results: A total of 62 patients were examined. The NLR in the follicular carcinoma group was 2.26 ± 1.35, whereas the NLR in the adenoma group was 2.72 ± 0.74. The average lymphocyte in the follicular carcinoma group was significantly higher than the adenoma group, 2.20 ± 0.78 vs. 1.76 ± 0.82. With a cut-off value of 2.405, NLR had a 69.40% accuracy rate for diagnosing a follicular adenoma (sensitivity: 70%; specificity: 69.2%, PPV: 30.4%, NPV: 92.3%). Lymphocyte had an accuracy of 80.6% in detecting follicular carcinoma (cut-off: 1.625; sensitivity: 80.8%; specificity: 80.0%, PPV: 95.5%, NPV: 44.4%). With an accuracy of 72.6% (cut-off: 270.500; sensitivity: 71.2%; specificity: 80.0%, PPV: 94.9%, NPV: 34.8%), platelet value is a promising parameter for differentiating follicular cancer and adenoma. There was a significant relationship between NLR, lymphocyte, and platelet with follicular-type thyroid nodules (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusion: NLR, lymphocytes, and platelets are potential biomarkers that can be used to differentiate follicular thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid adenoma.