diagnostic accuracy of mammography, ultrasound, and fine-needle aspiration in detecting breast cancer in patients with painful breast masses:a medical record-base study

Purpose: the objective of our investigation was to conduct a comparative analysis of the precision levels of fine-needle aspiration, ultrasonography, and mammography with regard to detecting the presence of breast cancer. the ultimate goal was to determine the most effective diagnostic methodology based on the patient's age and the particular attributes of the mass in question.materials and methods: this cross-sectional study examined 150 patients who presented breast pain within the last six months. out of the initial cohort, 66 participants diagnosed with breast cancer were included in the study, presenting an age range of 35 to 98 years and a mean age of 53.72 ± 18.26 years. among them, six were single and 60 were married. the results of diagnostic tests were compared with pathological findings and the final diagnosis was determined using the chi-square test.results: the findings suggested that 10% of masses were hyper-echoic and 90% hypo-echoic on sonography. sonography showed that 53.3% of the masses were cystic and 46.7% solid. mammographic results revealed calcifications in 24.2% of masses, with 63.6% showing no calcifications. mammography, with a sensitivity of 87.8%, was the only modality that could detect calcifications.conclusion: our study suggests that combining diagnostic methods enhances breast lesion detection compared to using a single method. this is crucial in early cancer stages when accurate, timely diagnosis is key. this approach improves early breast cancer detection, leading to better patient outcomes.