A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF TRIPLE ASSESSMENT IN EVALUATION OF BREAST LUMP

Breast masses have a variety of etiologies, benign and malignant. Most masses are benign, but breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. The Study is done with an aim of assessing the added and singular dependability of modified triple testing in making a pre-procedural diagnosis of a breast lump. A random sample of 150 patients attending the surgery outpatient department was taken. Of the 150 patients presenting with breast lumps most of the lumps were painless 81.3%(n=122),10% (n=16)of the lumps were associated with pain and 8%(n=12) were associated with nipple discharge. A fine collaboration between experienced radiologists, cytologist and the Clinician is required.Ultrasound when replacing mammography serves as effective an imaging modality in palpable breast lumps and is more comprehensive.Ultrasound breast aids biopsy techniques by guidance to the representative area than increasing yield. CNB is a suitable alternative when FNA is inconclusive and may offer additional information. Thus the use of Modified Triple Test( MTT) to complement findings in differential diagnosis of a lesion in a symptomatic women seeking medical care deserves acceptance and further evolution. This may lead to less delay in treatment when malignancy is suspected and to avoidance of surgical exploration when a benign nature of lesion is suspected.