Value and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytolbgy [FNAC] in thediagnosis of breast masses

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy of the women and causes death inmany patients every year. About 70% of breast surgeries and biopsy taking are not necessarybecause they yield benign diagnosis. For diagnosing breast masses accurately and speciallydifferentiating benign from malignant tumors without surgery, Triple Test has been introduced.This project tried to evaluate the diagnostic value and accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytologyof the breast as the most significant element of this test. During a 3 years period, 120 females with the chief complaint of abreast mass being admitted in Mashhad Imam Reza Hospital were subjected to all components ofthe triple test followed by confirmatory open biopsy. In 100 patients all paraclinical procedureswere obtained and the results were available. FNA cytologic results were classified in three groups as benign, malignant andsuspicious for malignancy. Fifty-five patients had benign and 40 had malignant cytology whichwere confirmed by routine histopathology. From 5 patients with suspicious cytology, 2 yieldedmalignancy and 3 benignancy by tissue confirmation. FNA cytology of the breast is a well tolerated, simple, safe, accurate, cost effective,noninvasive, less complicated procedure and operable in office practice for diagnosing breastlesions, with an accuracy of about 100%, specially when it is employed in association withphysical exam and mammography in the triple test.Based on these results we strongly recommend application of this method as an ideal procedurefor breast diagnosis and elimination of open biopsy in our country, which certainly will result inexpenses reduction