Distinguishing benign and malignant indeterminate thyroid lesions

A method of identifying a test thyroid tissue sample as a malignant thyroid tissue sample or a benign thyroid tissue sample, the method comprising:

• i. determining a quantified expression level of mir-328, mir-222, mir-197, and mir-21 RNA in the test thyroid tissue sample to produce a test dataset of expression levels;
• ii. comparing the test dataset of expression levels consisting of mir-328, mir-222, mir-197, and mir-21 to a malignant thyroid dataset and to a benign thyroid dataset;
• iii. determining whether the test dataset of expression levels is statistically significantly within the malignant thyroid dataset or within the benign thyroid dataset;
• wherein the malignant thyroid dataset comprises a collection of quantified expression levels of mir-328, mir-222, mir-197, and mir-21 RNA from malignant thyroid tissue samples;
• wherein the benign thyroid dataset comprises a collection of quantified expression levels of mir-328, mir-222, mir-197, and mir-21 RNA from benign, healthy, and non-cancerous thyroid tissue samples;
• and
• wherein if the test dataset of expression levels is statistically significant within the malignant thyroid dataset, the test thyroid sample is identified as a malignant thyroid tissue sample or if the test dataset of expression levels is statistically significant within the benign thyroid dataset, the test thyroid sample is identified as a benign thyroid tissue sample.