The most common presentation of a patient with thyroid carcinoma is the presence of a solitary thyroid nodule. Cytologic examination of a fine-needle aspirate of a nodule more than 1cm in diameter is the most appropriate first diagnostic procedure. Papillary, medullary, and anaplastic carcinomas can be readily diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). The majority (85-95%) of thyroid nodules are benign. Ref: Busaidy N.L., Habra M.A., Vassilopoulou-Sellin R. (2011). Chapter 38. Endocrine Malignancies. In H.M. Kantarjian, R.A. Wolff, C.A. Koller (Eds), The MD Anderson Manual of Medical Oncology, 2e.