Breast FNAC in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

In the breast, FNAC means a doctor passes a very thin needle into a lump and draws out a few cells for a pathologist to study under a microscope. FNAC in other parts of the body, such as the thyroid or neck glands, is covered on the general FNAC test page. This page is only about the breast.

The needle is usually fixed to a syringe. The doctor moves it a few times inside the lump to catch cells, then takes it out. Several passes are often needed. There are no stitches, and a small plaster covers the spot afterwards.

When a lump is small, deep or hard to feel, the needle is placed while the doctor watches it on a screen. That method is described on the USG-guided FNAC page. For a lump you can feel clearly, the doctor may place the needle by hand.

FNAC is chosen when a quick answer from a small sample is enough. It suits a lump you can feel, a swelling that may be a fluid-filled cyst, or an enlarged gland in the underarm. It is read together with the examination and imaging, usually a breast ultrasound and, in older women, a mammogram.

The test has limits. It collects cells, so the pathologist cannot see how the cells are arranged in tissue. That pattern matters in some cases. A core biopsy is usually preferred when doctors need to tell an early cancer from an invasive one, grade a cancer, or test for hormone receptors. For a solid breast lump, many breast teams now choose a core biopsy first because it gives more information.

If FNAC cannot answer the question, the test has still done its job. It tells the team which test to do next.

The pathologist uses a few standard words. Benign means the cells look non-cancerous. Atypical or suspicious means some cells look unusual and more testing is needed. Malignant means cancer cells were seen. Inadequate means too few cells were collected to give an answer.

An inadequate sample does not mean something is wrong. It can happen when a lump is small, mostly fluid or very fibrous. The sample is then repeated, or a tissue sample is taken instead. Your doctor reads the report with your examination and your scans, so the same word can lead to different advice for different people. Ask your doctor to go through the report with you.

FNAC is a low-risk test. Common effects are a small bruise, tenderness for a day or two and a drop of blood at the needle site. Fainting from nerves can happen with any needle, so say so if you tend to feel faint. Infection and a larger collection of blood under the skin are uncommon.

Tell the team before the test if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding problem, are pregnant or are breastfeeding. Your doctor may ask for a few blood tests first. Do not stop any prescribed medicine unless your doctor tells you to.

The team reviews your referral and scans before booking. Whether FNAC suits your lump, and who carries it out, is confirmed for each case.

Both tests use a needle, but they collect different samples and answer different questions. Your doctor chooses from the lump, your age and your scans.