Blood test may replace needle biopsy for thyroid cancer
NCT ID NCT04742608
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether a blood test can diagnose thyroid cancer as accurately as a traditional biopsy. Researchers will analyze tiny particles called extracellular vesicles from blood and tissue samples of 250 adults with thyroid nodules or cancer. The goal is to find a less invasive way to detect cancer and guide treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple blood test to diagnose thyroid cancer, avoiding the need for invasive biopsies.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage observational study, so it may not lead to a reliable diagnostic test. The results may not apply to all patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 250 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2020
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients in endocrine surgery clinic sites across University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) who have undergone thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Aged 18 and older * Consented for thyroid surgery for thyroid cancer or indeterminate thyroid nodule Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with concurrent malignancy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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UCLA / Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
RECRUITINGLos Angeles, California, 90095, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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