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Breast cytology. Statistical analysis and cytohistologic correlations
G E Feichter1, F Haberthür, S Gobat
1Division of Gynecological Cytology, University of Basel, Switzerland.
Acta Cytologica
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology is an essential diagnostic tool for breast lesions, improving clinical decision-making and patient management. This study confirms its high accuracy and low false positive rate in diagnosing mammary carcinoma.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pathology
- Cytopathology
Background:
- Fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a minimally invasive procedure for evaluating breast lesions.
- Accurate diagnosis of mammary carcinoma is crucial for effective patient management and treatment selection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic performance of FNA for mammary carcinoma.
- To assess the impact of tumor stage and histology on FNA quality and detection rates.
- To determine the accuracy of cytologic diagnoses, focusing on false positive rates in benign lesions.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1,472 breast FNAs performed over three years.
- Comparison of cytologic diagnoses with histologic examination where available.
- Statistical analysis of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy.
Main Results:
- 16.2% of aspirates were inadequate; inadequacy correlated with tumor stage (pT).
- Sensitivity for invasive carcinomas was 89.9%, specificity 99.3%, and overall accuracy 88.5%.
- The false positive rate for benign lesions was very low (0.5%).
Conclusions:
- FNA cytology significantly aids in decision-making and patient selection for biopsy.
- It contributes to efficient clinical management of breast lumps without causing disadvantages.
- FNA cytology is an indispensable tool in managing breast lesions.