title: The role of fine needle aspiration cytology and core biopsy in the diagnosis of palpable breast masses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The modern approach to palpable breast masses is to get cytopathologic diagnosis before definitive surgery. We aimed to compare fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with core biopsy in histopathologic diagnosis of palpable breast masses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected on 123 women who have suspicious palpable breast masses from 2007 to 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 123 patients, core biopsies were performed on 64 patients (Group 1) and FNAC on 59 patients (Group 2). Malignancy was confirmed in 25 out of 32 clinically suspicious patients in Group 1 (78.1%), and 20 out of 21 participants in Group 2 (95.2%). Among the clinically suspicious patients, 81.8% of 33 patients in Group 1, and 90.3% of 31 patients in Group 2 were identified malignancy. Sensitivity was 100% for core biopsy and 95% for FNAC. Specificity was 100% in both procedures. False negativity rate in FNAC were 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sensitivity and specificity showed that in the case of true histopathologic classification, core biopsy is superior to FNAC. Nevertheless, FNAC's role as a fast, simple and cheap diagnosis cannot be ignored. It is an effective diagnostic tool in most patients, in comparison to the correct and specific typing of core biopsies in benign lesions which protect patients from the open biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akin Firat
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Kocaay
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Suleyman Utku
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sevim
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Adana Numune Training and Research Hospital, Adana, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sefa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozyazici
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Omer Arda
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Cetinkaya
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, School of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kamil Bulent
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Alic
keywords: Biopsy; breast; core needle; fine needle aspiration