• The primary outcome is histologic lesion (benign (Graves, Hashimoto's, follicular adenoma or subtype of malignant lesion). [ Time Frame: 7 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• The main secondary outcome to be measured in malignant lesions includes measures of biologic behavior of malignant lesions including capsular and angiolymphatic invasion, local invasion and lymph node metastases at presentation [ Time Frame: 7 years ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Other: fine needle aspiration biopsy
Prospective evaluation of thyroid cytologic specimens obtained at the time of the fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy which is done as standard of care in the evaluation of thyroid nodules and goiters and peripheral blood samples at the time of biopsy, surgery or standard of care clinical evaluation in OHSU patients. Molecular markers will be evaluated on preoperative cytologic material and peripheral blood samples and compared with postoperative evaluation of molecular markers on surgical specimens from the OHSU Cancer Institute Tissue Bank.

The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of molecular markers in patients with benign and malignant thyroid lesions. This study consists of two parts:

Part One: Retrospective review of archived surgical pathology specimens at OHSU from patients with thyroid cancer or benign thyroid disease (nodules or goiter) who underwent thyroidectomy and/or neck dissection as standard of care. Molecular markers will be evaluated on archived tissue.

Part Two: Prospective evaluation of thyroid cytologic specimens obtained at the time of the fine needle aspiration biopsy which is done as standard of care in the evaluation of thyroid nodules and goiters and peripheral blood samples at the time of biopsy or surgery in OHSU patients. Molecular markers will be evaluated on preoperative cytologic material and peripheral blood samples and compared with postoperative evaluation of molecular markers on surgical specimens from the OHSU Cancer Institute Tissue Bank.

In both parts, molecular markers will be correlated with clinical information extracted from OHSU medical records: histologic subtype of cancer, measures of tumor aggressiveness (capsular and angiolymphatic invasion, local invasion, lymph node and distant metastases, TNM stage) and clinical outcome (recurrence, distant metastases and death).

Patients with other malignancies presenting for standard of care services will have peripheral blood collected for DNA, RNA and buffy coat/white blood cells as a "positive" control for the DNA/RNA isolation techniques and mutation assays, as other cancers commonly express some of the same mutations. Normals will have peripheral blood collected for DNA, RNA and buffy coat/white blood cells as a "negative" control for the DNA/RNA isolation techniques and mutation assays.