Watered down FNA path report?

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tovahsmom
tovahsmom Member Posts: 196
edited March 2019 in Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results

I had an FNA last week and got the report the next day. It said I had adenocarcinoma. Nothing else. My question: How is this helpful to my doctor? Is that all an FNA can tell you? That you have cancer but nothing else? Or should I be asking for the more detailed report? Is there such a thing for an FNA?

Thanks for any knowledge you have from those who have been through this!

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2019

    FNAs are usually done when cancer is not expected - I've had more than my share of biopsies, and I've only ever had FNAs for cysts, which are virtually always benign.

    The sample size from an FNA is very small and any results - other than simply telling you that cancer cells are present - would be unreliable.

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  • tovahsmom
    tovahsmom Member Posts: 196
    edited March 2019

    Thank you again Beesie for chiming in. So FNAs are unreliable and cancer may not be present?

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2019

    Answered in your other post.

    And best to stick to one thread so that all your questions and all the answers are in one place.

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