Veracyte, Inc. announced that new data presented at the 2023 American Thyroid Association (ATA) Annual Meeting demonstrate the type of novel molecular insights for thyroid nodules and cancer that are enabled by analysis with the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier (GSC). Presented by clinical researchers in three posters, the findings are based on Afirma whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing data and reveal novel molecular profiles to advance research of thyroid nodules and cancer. These data represent findings that can be assessed utilizing the company's Afirma Genomic Resource for Intelligent Discovery (GRID) tool, which will soon be available, upon request, on a research-use-only basis.

The three ATA posters include results from the analysis of whole-transcriptome data derived from the Afirma GSC. Highlights from the posters include: Leveraging RNA Sequencing for Pre-Operative Immunophenotyping of BRAFV600E+ Thyroid Nodules; Jarod Olay, M.S., from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and collaborators found that RNA expression profiles derived by Afirma GSC molecular testing may allow for pre-operative immunophenotyping of thyroid cancers instead of the traditional immunohistochemistry performed on surgical specimens. Their study was based on a retrospective analysis of nearly 48,000 thyroid nodules analyzed with the Afirma GSC, confirming that the classifier identified the expected immunophenotype for a specific type of thyroid cancer molecular alteration.

They analyzed Afirma GSC gene expression data from more than 47,000 thyroid nodules and recommend follow-up studies to determine how pre-operative assessment of NIS expression could be used to improve treatment selection for patients. New Research-Use-Only Afirma GRID: The three molecular signatures identified in these studies, along with many other thyroid cancer molecular profiles, will soon be available through the new Afirma GRID research-use-only tool. The database was developed through novel discovery work at Veracyte and through the utilization of published literature.

It is designed to serve as a comprehensive resource for research into molecular characteristics that may ultimately help improve the understanding of how to manage patients with thyroid nodules. The tool is available upon request and is intended for use on a research-use- only basis for thyroid nodules that are deemed suspicious for cancer by the Afirma GSC or are reported as Bethesda V or VI by cytopathology.