Clinical Outcomes of Mammographic and Ultrasonographic Techniques for Study of Palpable Breast Lesions with Cyto Histopathological Correlation

Abstract

Palpable breast masses, either self-detected or identified by clinical examination is common. Although most detected masses are benign, every woman presenting with breast mass should be evaluated to exclude or establish the diagnosis of cancer. Over 100,000 new breast cancer patients are diagnosed annually in India and according to WHO an estimated 70218 women died due to breast cancer. Early detection of breast cancer in order to improve the cancer outcome and survival remains the keystone of breast cancer control. The established management of palpable breast masses includes triple assessment, which includes clinical examination, imaging and fine needle aspiration cytology .Fine needle aspiration cytology is a relatively simple, reliable, atraumatic, economical and complication free technique for the evaluation of mass lesions. Fine needle aspiration cytology of a breast lump is an accepted and established method to determine the nature of a breast lump. Sonomammography is the widely accepted and cost effective modality used for breast cancer screening in clinically suspected lesion. Though a definitive diagnosis is possible with imaging, for all the lesions histopathology study is proven essential for confirming the diagnosis.The present study was planned in Department of Radio Diagnosis, Netaji Subhas Medical college& Hospital. Total 25 cases of the females diagnosed with the clinically palpable mass were enrolled in the present study. Ultrasound examination of the breast masses was done by an expert Sonologist in the department of radio diagnosis.The transducer was gently applied and both longitudinal and transverse scans were taken.Present study confirms the higher combined sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for ultrasonography and fine needle aspiration cytology for detection of breast masses including malignancies. USG is better in cystic lesion ectasia, inflammatory lesion and dense breast evaluation, whereas cytology is better in detection of malignancy. The triple assessment is an accurate, simple and cost-effective method for the evaluation of breast cancer and can be applied.