Table 4 Risk scoring system of thyroid nodules on the training and validating dataset

RF

S_RF<l_c(0.265)

l_c≤S_RF<0.5

0.5≤S_RF<h_c(0.784)

S_RF≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

110

4

41

11

35

47

12

898

96.5%

3.5%

78.8%

21.2%

42.7%

57.3%

1.3%

98.7%

LR

S_LR<l_c(0.267)

l_c≤S_LR<0.5

0.5≤S_LR<h_c(0.838)

S_LR≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

123

17

13

16

42

81

20

846

87.9%

12.1%

44.8%

55.2%

34.1%

65.9%

2.3%

97.7%

SVM

S_SVM<l_c(0.277)

l_c≤S_SVM<0.5

0.5≤S_SVM<h_c(0.850)

S_SVM≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

115

16

23

16

35

71

25

857

87.8%

12.2%

59.0%

41.0%

33.0%

67.0%

2.8%

97.2%

NET

S_NET<l_c(0.300)

l_c≤S_NET<0.5

0.5≤S_NET<h_c(0.820)

S_NET≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

125

19

14

20

37

61

22

860

86.8%

13.2%

41.2%

58.8%

34.8%

65.2%

2.3%

97.7%

ELM

S_ELM<l_c(0.352)

l_c≤S_ELM<0.5

0.5≤S_ELM<h_c(0.783)

S_ELM≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

103

7

28

18

46

113

21

822

93.6%

6.4%

60.9%

39.1%

29.0%

71.0%

2.5%

97.5%

KNN

S_KNN<l_c(0.305)

l_c≤S_KNN<0.5

0.5≤S_KNN<h_c(0.864)

S_KNN≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

117

13

15

16

49

114

17

817

90.0%

10.0%

48.4%

51.6%

30.1%

69.9%

2.0%

98.0%

NB

S_NB<l_c(0.188)

l_c≤S_NB<0.5

0.5≤S_NB<h_c(0.869)

S_NB≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

138

45

15

25

18

67

27

823

75.4%

24.6%

37.5%

62.5%

21.2%

78.8%

3.2%

96.8%

ADAB

S_ADAB<l_c(0.286)

l_c≤S_ADAB<0.5

0.5≤S_ADAB<h_c(0.614)

S_ADAB≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

87

2

98

12

7

12

6

934

97.8%

2.2%

89.1%

10.9%

36.9%

63.1%

0.6%

99.4%

LOG

S_LOG<l_c(0.317)

l_c≤S_LOG<0.5

0.5≤S_LOG<h_c(0.820)

S_LOG≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

113

13

19

12

52

118

14

817

89.7%

10.3%

61.3%

38.7%

30.6%

69.4%

1.7%

98.3%

LDA

S_LDA<l_c(0.256)

l_c≤S_LDA<0.5

0.5≤S_LDA<h_c(0.958)

S_LDA≥h_c

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

benign

malignancy

120

27

18

10

41

100

19

823

81.6%

18.4%

64.3%

35.7%

29.1%

70.9%

2.3%

97.7%

Management

After a 6-month

After 3-month sonographic

FNA biopsy

of thyroid

sonographic

follow-up or Fine Needle

FNA biopsy

or surgical

nodules

follow-up

Aspiration (FNA) biopsy

treatment