CORRELATION OF CLINICAL EXAMINATION, RADIOLOGICAL IMAGING AND HISTOPATHOLOGY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF BREAST LUMP

Breast lumps are a common clinical presentation with a wide spectrum ranging from benign conditions to malignant lesions. Accurate and timely diagnosis is essential to ensure early detection of malignancy while avoiding unnecessary interventions for benign diseases. The triple assessment approach—clinical examination, radiological imaging, and histopathological evaluation—is considered the gold standard for breast lump evaluation.

This hospital-based prospective observational study will be conducted at a tertiary care centre to assess the clinical profile of patients presenting with palpable breast lumps and to correlate radiological findings with histopathological diagnosis. Female patients above 15 years with palpable breast lumps will be included. Clinical examination, ultrasonography with BI-RADS classification, and pathological evaluation using FNAC and/or biopsy will be performed.

The study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of radiological imaging in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions and to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of radiological assessment. The findings are expected to improve diagnostic accuracy, facilitate early detection of breast cancer, and contribute locally relevant data to guide clinical practice and diagnostic protocols, especially in resource-limited settings