Patent ID: 9658233
Date: 2017-05-23
CPC Classifications: A61B,G01N

Claim:
1. A method of treating a growth in a subject comprising: (a) providing a sample of a growth obtained from thyroid tissue of a subject, (b) analyzing the sample by an immunoassay to determine the concentration of midkine protein in the sample, (c) analyzing the sample by an immunoassay to determine the concentration of thyroglobulin protein in the sample, (d) determining the ratio of midkine protein concentration to thyroglobulin protein concentration (MK/Tg) in the sample, (e) comparing the ratio of midkine protein concentration to thyroglobulin protein concentration determined from the sample with a control, (f) providing a diagnosis of the growth as a malignant growth after determining an increased ratio of midkine protein concentration to thyroglobulin protein concentration determined from the sample as compared to the control, and (g) performing a thyroidectomy on the subject when the diagnosis of the growth is that of a malignant growth, wherein the control is the ratio of midkine protein concentration to thyroglobulin protein concentration in a benign growth.