Fresh post-surgery explants were used to set up detection by ddPCR of a panel of transcripts: three thyroid-specific genes (thyroglobulin (TG), thyroperoxidase (TPO), and sodium/iodide symporter (NIS)), six cancer-associated lncRNAs (MALAT1, NEAT1, HOTAIR, H19, PVT1, and MEG3), and two housekeeping genes (GAPDH and P0) (Supplementary Fig. 4). Here, MALAT1 is linked to cancer.