FNAC of Breast Lesions with Special Reference to IAC Standardized Reporting and Comparative Study of Cytohistological Grading of Breast Carcinoma.

Context:Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a proven diagnostic technique for establishing the benign or malignant character of breast lesions. Several cytological grading systems have been proposed for grading of carcinoma breast, with results similar to histologic grades.Aims:This study sought to evaluate the prognostic value of FNAC in invasive ductal carcinoma of breast by correlating it with histological grade.Settings and Design:Tertiary care hospital, retrospective analytical study.Patients and Methods:One hundred and fifty cases of breast carcinoma that underwent modified radical mastectomy consequent to an FNAC diagnosis were included in the study. Robinson's grading system and Elston–Ellis modification of Scarff–Bloom–Richardson grading system were used to assign cytologic and histologic grades, respectively.Statistical Analysis:The cytological grades were correlated with the histological grades using χ2-test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The individual features of the cytological grades were correlated with the histological grades using Kappa coefficient and χ2-test. Values were considered significant at P < 0.05.Results:A statistically significant association was observed between cytologic and histologic grades (r = 0.97; P < 0.01) with sensitivity and specificity, respectively, of 100% and 93.95% for cytological grade 1, 100% and 100% for cytological grade 2 and 100% and 100% for cytological grade 3. Also, a positive correlation was found between each feature of the cytologic grade and the histologic grade (P < 0.05). Among these, a better correlation was demonstrated by cytological features like cell uniformity (Kappa coefficient = 0.50) and appearance of nucleoli (Kappa coefficient = 0.52).Conclusions:Robinson's cytologic grading system is a reliable grading method on FNAC smears of cases of carcinoma breast. It correlates well with Elston–Ellis modification of Scarff–Bloom–Richardson grade in invasive ductal carcinoma of breast.

The current practice of “Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has established itself as an important modality in the diagnosis and management of superficial and deep seated lesions throughout the body. With this wide employment of FNAC, the cytopathologists play a pivotal role in the management and therapeutic decisions that are based on the diagnosis of these limited FNAC samples. Furthermore, the use of FNAC samples for biomarker research is advancing rapidly and is being widely investigated and applied for the treatment and prognostic purposes. In this special issue, we have made an attempt to provide a “flavor” of the current practice of FNAC with an emphasis on correlation of tissue biopsies with PET results, FNAC of breast, liver, pulmonary, and head and neck lesions. Similarly, the use of FNAC in the diagnosis of Langerhans cell histiocytosis, neuritic leprosy, and granulomatous inflammation is also discussed. With the increasing use of image-assisted FNAC, pathologists are now an integral part in the diagnosis and management of the deep seated lesions. In lieu of this, it has become important for the pathologists to be aware of the limitations of different imaging techniques. The paper on the correlation of tissue biopsies with PET results discusses the limitations of an increased SUV value on PET scan. The use of fine needle aspiration cytology has been proven to give fast, economical, and valuable diagnosis of palpable breast lumps. In this issue, the role of FNAC in the evaluation of breast lump in a high patient volume center is addressed with emphasis on the importance of skill and training for both pathologists and technicians to prevent suboptimal sampling, thus, increasing the reliability of the procedure. Another important but not commonly discussed aspect of breast FNAC—the nonmalignant categories—is also addressed, with a review of the cytomorphology of benign breast lumps, some of which could be mistaken for malignancy due to the diaphanous appearance and overlapping cytologic features. The false negative and false positive FNAC is further discussed in detail so as to avert misinterpretation. These provide practical information for readers when dealing with FNAC of breast lesions. The paper on liver FNAC covers various aspects and discusses the role of FNAC in liver lesions. There is an active debate about the preoperative/pretransplantation diagnostic role of FNAC of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and precursor lesions, especially in the face of advances in dynamic imaging techniques. New trends in personalized molecular targeted therapy require better characterization and prediction of HCC behavior. FNAC biopsy technique is still the most minimally invasive approach for the procurement of tumor and peritumoral tissue for molecular studies. Thus, in the near future, hepatic FNAC is likely to become a point of care in the management of HCC patients, especially inoperable cases. In the current era of personalized medicine, the FNAC diagnosis of nonsmall cell carcinoma for a pulmonary nodule is no longer considered an adequate diagnosis. Pathologists are often required to further subclassify these in to adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. With the increasing use of image-assisted FNAC including endobronchial ultrasound guided FNAC (EBUS-FNA), cytologic or small biopsy material has become the only form of tissue available for diagnosis. The paper on FNAC of pulmonary lesions reviews the current concepts in the suitability and accuracy of FNAC in lung cancers including diagnosis, classification, use of ancillary techniques, and prognostic marker assessment. FNAC is a valuable technique in the workup of nodules and masses arising within the head and neck region. It is primarily utilized to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of malignancy involving head and neck organs especially lymph nodes, thyroid, and salivary glands. It has been shown that FNAC of salivary gland lesions is a valuable way to preoperatively assess lesional tissue, determine the need for surgical intervention, and assist in planning the appropriate surgical approach prior to resection. In this issue, the manuscript on cytologic diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma discusses the role of FNAC in the diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC), the common malignant tumor affecting parotid gland. In addition, it also brings forth how the rare and recently described oncocytic variant can pose problems in the diagnosis of MEC. In conclusion, this special issue includes a potpourri of topics which provides a thoughtful glimpse into various techniques, diagnostic ability, and limitations of the current practice of FNAC. Darshana Jhala Aileen Wee Gary Tse Zubair Baloch

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide. In developing countries, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is commonly used for screening to reduce mortality rates. The International Academy of Cytology has established the Yokohama system to enhance diagnostic clarity and communication between pathologists and clinicians. A triple test approach, incorporating clinical evaluation, imaging, and FNAC, can further improve patient care for breast lesions and may enhance the Yokohama System's effectiveness. A prospective study about breast FNAC was done over a period of one year, from October 2022 to September 2023. The study involved patients with breast lesion referred for FNAC in the department of Pathology. The FNAC results were further classified using the Yokohama system for reporting breast cytopathology, 2016. The cytological findings were correlated with available histopathological results. In the study of 104 cases, 60 (57.7%) of whom had available histopathology results, breast lesions were categorized using the Yokohama system as: 7.7% insufficient, 47.1% benign, 26.9% atypical, 2.9% suspicious of malignancy, and 15.4% malignant. The risk of malignancy varied by category: 0% for category 1, 3.2% for category 2, 47% for category 3, and 100% for categories 4 and 5. The maximum sensitivity was 94.7% when considering atypical, suspicious, and malignant cases as positive. The highest specificity was 97.56% for malignant cases alone, while the best diagnostic accuracy was 83.3% when both malignant and suspicious cases were counted as positive. The Yokohama system effectively classified borderline lesions, facilitating early detection and improved management options. By integrating FNAC with standardized reporting, healthcare providers can make informed decisions, enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of breast lesions.

Aim: The present study has been conducted on cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast to correlate cytological Robinson's grading system with histological Nottingham modified Bloom–Richardson grading system. Settings and Design: This is a retrospective study conducted on fifty cytologically diagnosed breast carcinoma cases in the Department of Pathology, VIMSAR, Burla, Odisha. Materials and Methods: Fifty cases of cytologically diagnosed breast carcinoma were graded according to Robinson's system, and the respective histopathology slides were graded according to Nottingham modified Bloom–Richardson scoring system. The axillary lymph node (if any) status was also checked for any metastases. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of Robinson's cytological grading system were calculated. Results: The absolute concordance rate between cytological and histological grades was 78% which indicates a strong correlation and significant association. Sensitivity was maximum for Grade II tumors (88.00%) while specificity was maximum for Grade III tumors (97.50%). The positive predictive value was maximum for Grade III tumors (85.71%) while the negative predictive value was maximum for Grade I tumors (94.11%). Lymph node metastases were found in 42% (21 cases) of all the tumors; maximum was (100%) in Grade III tumors. Conclusion: Cytological grade strongly correlates with histological grade and is helpful in selecting the treatment regimen.

Introduction: Despite the fact that Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has been widely utilised in the preoperative diagnosis of breast lumps, the Conventional Smears (CS) have drawbacks, including difficulty in understanding the pattern or architecture of the lesion, determining invasiveness, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), false positives, and false negatives. Cytologists advise using Cell Blocks (CB) to increase the diagnostic precision of FNAC. In this study, the significance of using Plasma Thromboplastin Cell Block (PTCB) routinely as an addition to CS in FNAC of palpable breast lesions. Aim: To determine the significance of PTCB as an adjunct in addition to CS to diagnose breast lesions. Materials and Methods: The present prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute, Kelambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, between July 2021 and June 2022 on 30 samples of palpable breast lesions. From the fine needle aspirates, smears were prepared and stained with Leishman and Papanicolaou stains. The residual material in the hub was rinsed in saline. The plasma-thromboplastin method was used to prepare CB, and Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&amp;E) sections were made. A point scoring system was used and findings were compared to histopathology. IHC markers namely Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2), Proliferation marker Ki-67 was utilised wherever appropriate. The results were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0. Results: Out of total 30 subjects, majority (n=9, 30%) were in the age group of 41-50 years. The mean scores of CS {background (0.93±0.25), cellularity (1.7±0.55), morphology (1.7±0.47) and architecture (1.03±0.32)} and PTCB {background (1.77±0.43), cellularity (1.77±0.48), morphology (1.8±0.48) and architecture (1.5±0.57)} were compared using the point scoring system. Though the mean scores of all four parameters were higher in PTCB than in CS, the statistically significant difference was seen in background (p-value=0.001) and architecture categories (p-value=0.0001). The PTCB finding as a screening test for predicting histopathological diagnosis showed a sensitivity of 94.44%, specificity of 100%, Positive Predictive Value (PPV) of 100%, Negative Predictive Value (NPV) of 92.3%, and 96.67% accuracy. IHC staining was feasible in CB and findings were comparable to biopsy. Conclusion: The routine use of PTCB technique in FNAC of breast lesions, along with smears, will aid in IHC, reducing diagnostic pitfalls, thereby reducing misdiagnosis and invasive procedures, particularly in suspicious for malignancy cases, which can lead to inappropriate radical treatment causing physical and psychological stress to patients.

Background: Breast cancer is steadily increasing worldwide. This study is based on application of recently proposed International Academy of cytology (IAC) Yokohama categorisation system of Breast cytology from C1 to C5. (C1-Insufficient material, C2-Benign, C3- Atypical, C4-Suspicious &amp; C5-Malignant). We aim to categorize the breast lesions based on the above-mentioned categorization scheme (IAC, Yokohama 2016) along with histopathological correlation (wherever possible).Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted from January 2018 to December 2021 in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care hospital involving coastal population. Ethical clearance was taken from institutional reviw committee. All patients with palpable breast lumps who had undergone FNAC were included in the study. Patient details and data were collected from the case records maintained in Department of Pathology. All quantitative parameters were described through descriptive statistics. Total scores were computed for all the risk factors. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value, Negative Predictive Value calculated. Risk of malignancy(ROM) was calculated for each category.Results: A total 200 patients, with age group ranging from 17 - 67 years with breast lesions were included in the study. C1 lesions were found in 5 cases, C2 in 152 cases, C3 in 11 cases, C4 in 4 cases, and C5 in 28 cases. Cytohistological correlation obtained in 94 cases with concordance noted in 89 cases and discordance in 5 cases.Conclusions: Breast FNAC cytology categorization according to IAC Yokohama system increases accuracy of diagnosis and helps clinician in appropriate patient management.

Background:Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is still an important first line diagnostic procedure in developing countries. FNAC of breast lesions is quite specific and sensitive investigation and the results are comparable to histopathology.Aim:To evaluate applicability of parameters of different cytological grading (CG) systems, for aspirates of breast cancers, and its correlation with histopathology grading parameters.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional observational study was carried out on 30 female patients with ductal carcinoma breast, diagnosed on FNAC and subsequently confirmed histopathologically. The cytological smears were graded using six different cytological parameters/criteria described by Robinson et al. (Robinson grading system) and modified Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grading system considering three parameters. The results of cytological grade (CG) were compared with parameters of gold standard modified SBR histological grading (HG) system.Results:Important influential cytological parameters to predict final RBS cytological score came out to be chromatin, nucleoli, nuclear size, cell uniformity, and cell dissociation with statistically significant P value (0.0001) except for mitotic count. The important influential predictor of final SBR histological score is nuclear pleomorphism.Conclusion:SBR HG has good correlation with both RBS and SBR CG systems. The cytological nuclear grade provides important prognostic information which is very sensitive and equally specific hence should be done in breast aspirates and is now replaced by Core Needle biopsy. In developing country like India FNAC of breast aspirates still holds diagnostic value in the classification of breast lesions as compared to core guided image biopsy.

Background: Benign and malignant lesions of breast are one of the most common causes of palpable masses seen in women. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the important modality of diagnosis of breast lumps. Previously, there were no uniform criteria for reporting breast FNAC. To overcome this problem, the newly designed system – International Academy of Cytology (IAC) – Yokohama system of reporting was implemented in 2016. The system offers a structured report to the patient. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to categorize breast FNAC according to the IAC – Yokohama system of reporting, to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of the test, and to analyze the cytomorphological spectrum of various breast lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 210 patients presenting with breast lump in cytology section were subjected to FNAC using a 22 gauge needle under all aseptic precautions. Detailed clinical history was taken. All cytology and histopathology examination slides (wherever available) were thoroughly studied. FNAC smears were reported using IAC – Yokohama system of reporting. Results: In our study, benign category (C2) was most commonly seen in 73.33% of cases, followed by 10.48% of cases of atypical probably benign (C3), 2.38% of cases were reported as suspicious (C4), and 11.43% of cases were reported as malignant (C5). Cytohistopathological concordance was seen in 38 cases (88.4%) whereas five cases were reported as discordant. Sensitivity and specificity of the test for the diagnosis of malignancy were 81% and 100%, respectively. PPV was 100%. NPV was 90.90%. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was 93.47%. Conclusion: The newer IAC – Yokohama system of reporting of breast FNAC is simple, has clear diagnostic criteria hence boost up the confidence as well has uniformity of reporting by cytopathologist, and increases the understanding and uniformity in assessment by the attending clinician which help in improving the communication between the pathologist and the treating clinician.

Background: Benign and malignant lesions of breast are one of the most common causes of palpable masses seen in women. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the important modality of diagnosis of breast lumps. Previously, there were no uniform criteria for reporting breast FNAC. To overcome this problem, the newly designed system – International Academy of Cytology (IAC) – Yokohama system of reporting was implemented in 2016. The system offers a structured report to the patient. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to categorize breast FNAC according to the IAC – Yokohama system of reporting, to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of the test, and to analyze the cytomorphological spectrum of various breast lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 210 patients presenting with breast lump in cytology section were subjected to FNAC using a 22 gauge needle under all aseptic precautions. Detailed clinical history was taken. All cytology and histopathology examination slides (wherever available) were thoroughly studied. FNAC smears were reported using IAC – Yokohama system of reporting. Results: In our study, benign category (C2) was most commonly seen in 73.33% of cases, followed by 10.48% of cases of atypical probably benign (C3), 2.38% of cases were reported as suspicious (C4), and 11.43% of cases were reported as malignant (C5). Cytohistopathological concordance was seen in 38 cases (88.4%) whereas five cases were reported as discordant. Sensitivity and specificity of the test for the diagnosis of malignancy were 81% and 100%, respectively. PPV was 100%. NPV was 90.90%. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was 93.47%. Conclusion: The newer IAC – Yokohama system of reporting of breast FNAC is simple, has clear diagnostic criteria hence boost up the confidence as well has uniformity of reporting by cytopathologist, and increases the understanding and uniformity in assessment by the attending clinician which help in improving the communication between the pathologist and the treating clinician.

Introduction: Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) is a rapid, minimally invasive and cost-effective procedure with a high sensitivity rate of 92-95% and high Positive Predictive Value (PPV) approaching 100% for the diagnosis of breast malignancies. International Academy of Cytology (IAC) Yokohama system for reporting breast FNACs had been established in 2016 to bring consistency and uniformity of breast cytology reporting. Aim: To classify the breast lesions according to the IAC Yokohama system for cytological reporting of breast lesions. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective six years study carried out in the Department of Pathology, Karpaga Vinayaga Institute of Medical Sciences, Chinnakolambakkam, Tamil Nadu, India. All females breast FNAC cases reported during the year January 2015 to December 2020 were included in the study according to the inclusion criteria. Relevant clinical and pathological data including the FNAC reports were retrieved from the medical records of the department. Corresponding FNAC smears stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin (H&amp;E) and Papanicolaou stains were reviewed and double-checked with the FNAC reports. All those cases were grouped according to the IAC Yokohama System. Statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: Of the total 381 female breast FNACs, majority (60%) of them belonged to the age group of 21-40 years. The predominant presenting symptom was palpable breast lump (73%) and Upper Outer Quadrant (UOQ) was involved in 65% of cases. Out of 381 cases, 297 (78%) were benign, 52 (13.6%) were malignant and 32 (8.4%) were inadequate for diagnosis. Total 73.8% cases belonged to “C2” category and fibroadenoma was the most prevalent lesion. Pearson Chi-square test showed highly significant association between patient’s age above 40 years and the risk of having a malignant breast lesion (p&lt;0.0001). Conclusion: FNAC is an effective diagnostic modality for preoperative diagnosis of breast lesions thereby facilitating proper treatment at an early stage of the disease. Also adherence to the standardised cytological reporting system like IAC Yokohama system will ensure quality assurance across various institutions, thereby strengthening the healthcare services.

Introduction: Breast cancer affects 2.1 million women each year and is the most common cancer among females, followed by lung, colorectum, uterus, and cervix. Breast cancer accounted for 6,26,679 (6.6%) deaths in 2018. Breast cancer incidence is on the rise in every part of the globe, including developed countries. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) shows high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in evaluation of breast lesions. FNAC is part of the triple test and is the gold standard for assessment. The new reporting system for breast FNAC, proposed by the International Academy of Cytology (IAC) Yokohama Breast Cytopathology System, has standardised the reporting system to categorise breast lesions and as unmasked the diagnostic dilemma faced by reporting cytopathologist. Aim: The study aimed to categorise the samples according to IAC Yokohama Breast Cytopathology System and assess the Risk of Malignancy (ROM) for each category and increase the diagnostic yield of breast FNAC. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study included 1,467 breast FNAC cases, which were retrieved and reclassified based on the newly proposed IAC Yokohama System into five categories during January 2017-December 2018 in Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO), Bangalore. Histopathology correlation was done, and the Risk of Malignancy (ROM) was assessed whenever possible. The study results were analysed using Microsoft excel 2007, sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), and accuracy ratios were calculated using the MedCalc diagnostic test evaluation calculator, keeping histologic diagnosis as the gold standard. Results: Re-categorisation of 1,467 cases was done according to the Yokohama breast cytopathology system as insufficient material, benign, atypical, suspicious for malignancy, and malignant. The histopathology diagnosis was available in 1,069 cases. The respective ROM for each category was, 7.6% for category 1 (Insufficient), 15.26% for category 2 (Benign), 65.38% for category 3 (Atypical), 83.33% for category 4 (Suspicious) and 99.18% for category 5 (Malignant). Considering malignant cases as positive, sensitivity-86.75%, specificity-97.32%, PPV-99.19%, NPV-66.06% and accuracy of 88.96% was deduced. Conclusion: It is recommended to incorporate the IAC Yokohama system to categorise breast cytopathology with uniform terminologies. This will help diagnose breast lesions more consistently and accurately, which in turn helps the clinician manage the disease and predict the ROM and the patient outcome.

Context:Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) plays an important role in the diagnosis of breast carcinoma. However, its role as a prognostic tool needs to be explored. This can be achieved by studying its correlation with an established prognostic marker such as axillary nodal metastasis.Aims:This study was undertaken to correlate the cytological features of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of breast with axillary lymph node status.Settings and Design:Tertiary care hospital, retrospective analytical study.Materials and Methods:The study group included 150 cases of IDC of breast diagnosed on FNAC, who had subsequently undergone modified radical mastectomy. Cytologic grades were assigned as per Robinson's grading system. Histopathological sections of axillary lymph nodes were assessed for metastasis.Statistical Analysis Used:The cytologic grade and each feature of the cytologic grade were correlated with the lymph node metastasis using χ2 test. Values of P < 0.05 were considered significant.Result:A statistically significant correlation was noted between cytologic grade of tumor and axillary lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). In addition, a positive correlation was found between two of the individual features of cytologic grade, namely, nuclear size and cell uniformity with axillary lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).Conclusion:Robinson's cytologic grade of breast carcinoma correlates well with the presence of axillary lymph node metastasis and hence can be used as a prognostic tool. As there is an increasing trend toward conservative approach to management of breast carcinoma, patients receive preoperative neoadjuvant therapy which may alter the nodal status on the resected specimen. Hence, a high cytological grade of primary tumor, as assessed on FNAC before initiation of therapy, should alert the treating team of the possibility of axillary lymph nodal metastasis.

The International Academy of Cytology (IAC) has developed a standardized approach for reporting the findings of breast fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Accordingly, there are five chief categories of breast lesions, C1 (insufficient material), C2 (benign), C3 (atypical), C4 (suspicious), and C5 (malignant). The prognostication and management of breast carcinoma can be performed readily on the basis of this classification system. The aim of this study was to classify various breast lesions into one of the above-named categories and to further grade the C5 lesions specifically using the Robinson system. The latter grades were then correlated with modified Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grades. This retrospective study was undertaken in the pathology department of a hospital located in the urban part of the city of Bangalore. All FNAC procedures performed on breast lumps spanning the year 2020 were included in the study. A total of 205 breast lesions was classified according to the IAC guidelines into C1 (6 cases, 2.9%), C2 (151 cases, 73.7%), C3 (13 cases, 6.3%), C4 (5 cases, 2.5%), and C5 (30 cases, 14.6%) groups. The C5 cases were further graded using Robinson's system. The latter showed a significant correlation with the SBR system (concordance=83.3%, Spearman correlation=0.746, Kendall's tau-b=0.736, kappa=0.661, standard error=0.095, p≤.001). A standardized approach for FNAC reporting of breast lesions, as advocated for by the IAC, improves the quality and clarity of the reports and assures diagnostic reproducibility on a global scale. Further, the cytological grading of C5 lesions provides reliable cyto-prognostic scores that can help assess a tumor's aggressiveness and predict its histological grade.

Background: Carcinoma of the breast is one of commonest carcinomas found in Indian women and also around the world. Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC), a quick, cost effective and patient compliant procedure, can give an adequate diagnosis to rule out at best the difference between a benign and malignant breast lump. The International Academy of Cytology (IAC) has developed a process for Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) reporting that is thorough and standardized. C1 to C5 are the categories for breast lesions. Methods: A total of 166 breast FNACs were performed over a period of 2.5 years after fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria and the aspirates were stained by Hematoxylin and Eosin stains and the stained slides were studied and diagnosis was made accordingly. The patients were classified using the IAC classification system that relies on their cytomorphological characteristics. Results: Out of 166 cases, 136 were neoplastic, 6 non-neoplastic and 24 cases were inadequate to opine. Of the 136 neoplastic cases, 89 cases (53.61%) were diagnosed as fibroadenoma and 19 cases (11.44%) were diagnosed as duct carcinoma. Conclusion: The fine needle aspiration cytology is a critical diagnostic tool in the management of patients with breast lump. It is an easy, reliable, patient friendly, repeatable and simple diagnostic test. FNAC can have a very high diagnostic accuracy when performed by experts.

Aim:To evaluate and compare the cytograding of breast cancers using Robinson’s and Mouriquand’s grading methods.Materials and Methods:A 5-year retrospective (from Oct 2000 to Sept 2005) and 1-year prospective study (from Oct 2005 to Oct 2006). A total of 110 fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) cases of breast cancers were studied. These were graded according to Robinson’s and Mouriquand’s grading methods (grade I–III) followed by comparison of the two methods.Results:Of the 110 cases graded according to Robinson’s method, 28 (25.45%) cases were grade I, 46 (41.81%) grade II, and 36 (32.72%) were grade III, whereas using Mouriquand’s grading methods, 28 (25.45%), 42 (38.18%), and 40 (36.36%) cases were graded as grade I, II, and III, respectively. A high degree of concordance was observed between the two grading methods (90.9%). A highly significant relationship between the scores obtained by two methods was also observed (P=0.004).Conclusions:A comprehensive cytological grading of breast cancers is possible by using two different methods proposed by Robinson and Mouriquand. In spite of a high degree of concordance between the two methods, the Robinson’s grading system has been found to be easier and better because of more objective set of criteria and easy reproducibility.