Levels of FOXE1 and PAX8 messenger RNA (mRNA) in thyroid nodules have been found to be decreased in malignant thyroid lesions and higher in benign lesions, and even the gene expression patterns of FOXE1 and PAX8 can help in differentiating FTC from MTC and the Follicular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma (FVPTC) [27]. This evidence concerns the gene PAX8 and medullary thyroid gland carcinoma.