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Latest breast cancer news
Chinese Treatment For Breast Cancer 1/18/2006
Diagnosis of breast cancer
If a suspicious lesion is detected in the breast during physical examination or in the mammogram, the nature of the lesion is to be determined by a biopsy. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy is the commonest diagnostic procedure performed to establish the nature of breast lump. Other techniques used in this situation would include core biopsy, and excision biopsy. FNA biopsy and core cutting biopsies are usually performed in physician 's office. Excision biopsy is usually done in the hospital as an outpatient procedure. Excision biopsy involves surgical excision and removal of the tumor whereas the FNA and core biopsy are less invasive procedures. Here is the summary of these three different techniques for evaluation of a breast lump.
Fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy
Advantages
Rapid
Painless
Inexpensive
Does not involve cutting of the skin
Disadvantages
False negative results are high
Unable to determine insitu from invasive
Will distinguish only cancer from benign lesions (will not get more details)
Sample may be insufficient to make a diagnis
Core biopsy
Advantages
Rapid
Painless
Inexpensive
Does not involve cutting of the skin
Inexpensive
Disadvantages
False negative results are high
May not give full pathological diagnosis
Excision biopsy
Advantages
Gives complete pathological diagnosis
Avoids false negative results
Insufficient material problem does not occur
May serve as the whole lumpectomy surgery
Disadvantages
More expensive than the above two
More invasive procedure
Cosmetically less appealing
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