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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer Detection and Diagnosis > Biopsy > FNA vs CNB

FNA vs CNB

Below is a table comparing Fine Needle Aspiration and Core Needle Biopsy ^{(1) (2) (3)}

 

	Fine Needle Aspiration	Core Needle Biopsy
Sample Removed	Removes only a very small portion of the lesion	Removes a small portion in most cases, occasionally removes the entire lesion
Needle Size	22-27 gauge	11-18 gauge
Pathology Type	Cytopathology	Histopathology
Interpretation Time	Immediately	Delayed
Diagnostic Abilities	Limited ability to specifically diagnose benign lesions No ability to differentiate between in situ and invasive breast cancer	Strong ability to specifically diagnose benign lesions. Some ability to differentiate between in situ and invasive breast cancer.
Disadvantages	Cannot be used for additional study	More invasive, time consuming, expensive
Advantages	Inexpensive, quick, readily available, and very safe	Can be used for additional study and has more specific diagnostic abilities than FNA
Effectiveness	Sensitivity: 75.8-98.7% Specificity: 60-100% Positive Predictive Value: 93.5-100%	Sensitivity: 91-99.6%% Specificity: 98-100% Positive Predictive Value: 100%

Watch a video about Sensitivity and Specificity of Medical Tests

References for this page:

1. A Abati and A Simisir. Breast fine needle aspiration biopsy: Prevailing Recommendations and contemporary practices. Clinics in Laboratory Medicine. 2005; 25: 631-654. [PUBMED]
2. ES de Paredes, TG Langer, J Cousins. Interventional Breast Procedures. Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology. 1998; September/October: 138-184. [PUBMED]
3. B Chaiwun and P Thorner. Fine needle aspiration for evaluation of breast masses. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007; 19: 48-55. [PUBMED]