Evaluation of Fine Needle Aspiration versus Core Needle Biopsy for Breast Cancer Detection

Background: According to recent studies, 1 in every 9 women is at risk for breast cancer. Moreover, 30% of total cancers in women are related to the breast. Although the 5-year survival rate in patients who are in stage I is 84%, in stage IV patients it decreases to 18%. As a result, survival after detection depends on the stage of the disease. Early detection would lead to decreased mortality rate. The triple test (ultrasound, mammography and fine needle aspiration (FNA)) is a main step in detecting breast cancer. FNA is the most important procedure in the triple test. This study was conducted to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values of FNA. Methods: In a descriptive study conducted in Jam Imaging Center, Isfahan, Iran, 82 patients with breast tumor and referred to the center for core needle biopsy (CNB) under ultrasound were examined by both FNA and CNB. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the two methods were analyzed. SPSS18 was used for data analysis. Findings: In comparison to CNB, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of FNA were 84.8%, 94.4%, 95.1% and 82.9%, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, FNA under ultrasound guide has a reliable sensitivity and specificity for detection of breast cancer. However, this test cannot be applied as a final test for breast tumor because it may show false negative and false positive results. For final diagnosis CNB may be needed. Keywords: Fine needle aspiration, Core needle biopsy, Breast cancer, Breast mass.