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Comparison of fine‐needle aspiration cytology and core biopsy for diagnosis of breast cancer
Author(s) -
Sun Wei,
Li Ailing,
Abreo Fleurette,
TurbatHerrera Elba,
Grafton Warren D.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
diagnostic cytopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1097-0339
pISSN - 8755-1039
DOI - 10.1002/dc.1092
Subject(s) - medicine , biopsy , malignancy , lumpectomy , atypia , breast cancer , fine needle aspiration , cytology , cancer , radiology , cytopathology , pathology , mastectomy
Abstract Both fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and core biopsy are useful in the diagnosis of breast cancer. In order to compare the sensitivities of these procedures, we reviewed 209 patients with breast cancer who had either FNA, core biopsy, or both, and also either mastectomy or lumpectomy. Sensitivities for FNA and core biopsies for diagnosing breast cancer were calculated and compared. Sensitivity for FNA or core biopsies interpreted as either atypical or malignant was 93.8% for FNA and 90.1% for core biopsy ( P > 0.05). Sensitivity for FNA or core biopsies interpreted as malignant was 65.4% for FNA and 88.7% for core biopsy ( P < 0.0001). Sensitivities of FNA interpreted as either atypical or malignant were 92.4% for FNA performed by pathologists and 100% for FNA by nonpathologists ( P >0.05). Sensitivities of FNA interpreted as malignant were 75.8% for FNA by pathologists and 20.0% for FNA by nonpathologists ( P < 0.00001). Both FNA and core biopsies are sensitive procedures for the detection of breast cancer. There was no significant difference between sensitivity of FNA and core biopsies interpreted as either atypia or malignancy, although the sensitivity of core biopsies interpreted as unequivocal malignancy was greater than that of FNA. FNAs performed by pathologists were more sensitive than FNAs performed by nonpathologists in making an unequivocal diagnosis of breast cancer. Diagn. Cytopathol. 24:421–425, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.