A Comparative Study Between Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology and Core Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Palpable Breast Lumps

A Comparative Study Between Fine Needle and Core Biopsy in the Palpable Abstract Background Breast carcinoma is a frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. An effective diagnosis is necessary to manage this cancer in its preliminary stages. After a radiological examination of the palpable breast lumps, a core needle biopsy (CNB) or fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), is performed. The study focuses on comparing the accuracy and efficacy of FNAC and CNB in diagnosing palpable breast lumps. Design A randomized, open-labeled, comparative research. Setting selected The randomization technique was used to divide patients into two groups, i.e., undergoing FNAC or CNB. The results thus obtained were compared the post-operative histopathological Biostatistical parameters such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy. Results The sensitivity of CNB and FNAC was 92.8% and 86.6% respectively, whereas the specificity and positive predictive value of both the tests were 100%. NPV of CNB was 95%, and that of FNAC was 90%. The accuracy of CNB was 96.96% and that of FNAC was 93.90%. Conclusion Better cellularity, the possibility of immunohistochemical analysis and better characterization of specimens make core needle biopsy more efficacious than FNAC. It is more sensitive and accurate than FNAC. Core needle biopsy provides a more dependable preoperative diagnosis which can help in creating a prudent algorithm for management of a palpable breast lump, thereby more often leading to definitive surgical treatment.