Use of fine needle aspiration cytology with immediate reporting in the diagnosis of breast disease

Fine needle aspiration biopsy for cytological examination (FNAC) is becoming increasingly accepted as a means of tissue diagnosis in breast disease. This study examines the feasibility and accuracy of FNAC in ‘immediate reporting’ by a consultant cytopathologist in a busy breast clinic. Over a 2‐year period, 884 cytology reports were analysed. An initial clinical report and subsequent final cytological diagnosis was made. Fine needle aspiration provided adequate material for cytological evaluation in 635 of the 884 biopsies (71.6 per cent) and this proportion was greater when discrete lumps were considered (463 of 562 biopsies = 82.4 per cent). In diffuse and cystic disease, however, the adequacy of specimens was reduced: 50 per cent and 65 per cent respectively. On immediate reporting the diagnostic sensitivity for all patients was 88 per cent (discrete lumps only, 92.5 per cent) and the specificity was 99.8 per cent (discrete lumps only, 100 per cent). FNAC retains its diagnostic accuracy when immediate reporting is employed and this study demonstrates that this technique can be used in making a diagnosis in patients with breast disease.

[1]  V. Wadehra,et al.  Natural history of the benign breast lump , 1988, The British journal of surgery.

[2]  C. Rose,et al.  Fine needle aspiration and Tru-Cut biopsy in the diagnosis of soft tissue metastases in breast cancer. , 1986, European journal of cancer & clinical oncology.

[3]  S. Saltzstein,et al.  Needle biopsies in breast cancer diagnosis: Techniques in search of an audience , 1986, Journal of surgical oncology.

[4]  B. Griffel,et al.  Frozen‐section diagnosis in surgical pathology. A prospective analysis of 526 frozen sections , 1986, Cancer.

[5]  S. Minkowitz,et al.  Tru‐cut needle biopsy of the breast. An analysis of its specificity and sensitivity , 1986, Cancer.

[6]  S. Cowan,et al.  Surgical reasearch society. Pre‐operative determination of oestrogen receptor status in breast cancer by immunocytochemical staining of fine needle aspirates , 1985 .

[7]  J. Bradbeer.  Out‐patient diagnosis of breast cancer , 1985, The British journal of surgery.

[8]  J. Canter,et al.  Fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis and management of solid breast lesions. , 1984, American journal of surgery.

[9]  H. Wanebo,et al.  Fine needle aspiration cytology in lieu of open biopsy in management of primary breast cancer. , 1984, Annals of surgery.

[10]  S. Pilotti,et al.  Accuracy of Breast Cancer Diagnosis by Physical, Radiologic and Cytologic Combined Examinations , 1983, Tumori.

[11]  M. Shabot,et al.  Aspiration Cytology is Superior to Tru‐Cut™ Needle Biopsy in Establishing the Diagnosis of Clinically Suspicious Breast Masses , 1982, Annals of surgery.

[12]  A. Cuschieri,et al.  Tamoxifen as initial sole treatment of localised breast cancer in elderly women: a pilot study. , 1982, British medical journal.

[13]  G. Auer,et al.  COMPARATIVE SINGLE CELL AND FLOW DNA ANALYSIS IN ASPIRATION BIOPSIES FROM BREAST CARCINOMAS , 1980, Acta pathologica et microbiologica Scandinavica. Section A, Pathology.

[14]  I. Fentiman,et al.  Value of needle biopsy in outpatient diagnosis of breast cancer. , 1980, Archives of surgery.

[15]  D. Pasquier,et al.  Fine needle aspiration of breast carcinoma: a preliminary cytoprognostic study. , 1980, Acta cytologica.

[16]  A. Cuschieri,et al.  Needle aspiration of the breast with immediate reporting of material. , 1979, British medical journal.

[17]  T. Powles,et al.  Clinical examination, xeromammography, and fine-needle aspiration cytology in diagnosis of breast tumours. , 1978, British medical journal.

[18]  P P Rosen,et al.  Frozen Section Diagnosis of Breast Lesions: Recent Experience with 556 Consecutive Biopsies , 1978, Annals of surgery.

[19]  G. Kreuzer,et al.  Aspiration biopsy cytology, mammography and clinical exploration: a modern set up in diagnosis of tumors of the breast. , 1976, Acta cytologica.

[20]  A. Forrest,et al.  Needle aspiration of breast cysts. , 1975, British medical journal.

[21]  B. Stenkvist,et al.  The diagnostic accuracy of palpation and fine-needle biopsy and an evaluation of their combined use in the diagnosis of breast lesions: report on a prospective study in 1244 women with symptoms. , 1975, Annals of surgery.

[22]  B. Stenkvist,et al.  The Diagnostic Accuracy of Palpation and Fine‐needle Biopsy and an Evaluation of their Combined Use in the Diagnosis of Breat Lesions , 1975 .

[23]  W. Holaday,et al.  Ten thousand consecutive frozen sections. A retrospective study focusing on accuracy and quality control. , 1974, American journal of clinical pathology.

[24]  A. Webb.  The diagnostic cytology of breast carcinoma , 1970, British Journal of Surgery.

[25]  S. Cowan,et al.  Pre-operative determination of oestrogen receptor status in breast cancer by immunocytochemical staining of fine needle aspirates. , 1985, The British journal of surgery.

[26]  H. Strawbridge,et al.  Role of cytology in management of lesions of the breast. , 1981, Surgery, gynecology & obstetrics.

[27]  J. Zajicek,et al.  Aspiration biopsy in diagnosis of palpable lesions of the breast. Critical review of 3479 consecutive biopsies. , 1968, Acta radiologica: therapy, physics, biology.