Answer:
Ø Safer and less traumatic than an open surgical biopsy.
Ø Some major surgical biopsy can be replaced by performing a needle aspiration.
Ø Significant complications are usually rare.
Ø useful in lesions that are easily palpable, like growth of skin, subcutaneous soft tissue tumors, thyroid, lymph nodes, salivary glands and breast.
Ø low risk of complications allows it to be performed as an out- Patient procedure
Ø Highly suitable for patients having multiple lesions and easily repeatable.
Ø Eliminate the need for more complicated diagnostic test and spare the patient expensive hospitalization and anesthesia.
Ø Prevent un-necessary surgery, less laborious than tissue biopsy and more cost effective.
Ø Rapid and accurate and permits early institution of therapy.
Ø Permits and easy evaluation of the behavior of the tumor for the result of treatment.
Ø Provides a pre-operative knowledge of the nature of the deep seated lesions which help in planning for the best surgical operative procedure.
Ø In summary FNAC is the substitute for the surgical operative procedure.