Use of Fine-Needle Aspiration in the Evaluation of Breast Lumps
2011

Evaluating Breast Lumps with Fine-Needle Aspiration

Sample size: 425 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Bukhari Mulazim Hussain, Arshad Madiha, Jamal Shahid, Niazi Shahida, Bashir Shahid, Bakhshi Irfan M., Shaharyar

Primary Institution: King Edward Medical University

Hypothesis

The study aims to assess the accuracy of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in diagnosing palpable breast lumps.

Conclusion

FNAC is a rapid, economical, and reliable method for diagnosing palpable breast lesions.

Supporting Evidence

  • FNAC showed 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity in diagnosing breast lesions.
  • The accuracy of FNAC improved significantly with repeated attempts.
  • Only four false positive cases were reported in the study.
  • FNAC is cost-effective compared to other biopsy methods.
  • Most benign lesions were found in younger patients, while malignant lesions were more common in older patients.

Takeaway

Doctors can use a small needle to take a sample from a lump in the breast to check if it's cancer, and this method works really well.

Methodology

The study involved 425 patients undergoing FNAC, with results compared to histological diagnoses.

Potential Biases

Potential for false positives in suspicious lesions.

Limitations

The study excluded patients with recurrent malignancy and those who did not undergo subsequent histopathological diagnosis.

Participant Demographics

Patients ranged in age from 16 to over 70 years, with a majority being female.

Statistical Information

P-Value

P = .000

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.4061/2011/689521

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