Table 1.

Advantages and disadvantages of fine needle aspiration, core needle biopsy, and liquid-based cytology.

Procedure	Advantages	Disadvantages
Fine needle aspiration	Rapid, simple, and minimally invasive Cost-effective	The rate of inadequate specimen collection is higher
Core needle biopsy	High sensitivity and specificity Immunostaining and molecular biological tests can be performed	Invasive, possible risk of tumor seeding Requires skill
Liquid-based cytology	Cell specimens can be preserved Better observation of nuclear details and background Immunostaining and molecular biological tests can be performed	Costly Changes may occur in cytomorphological findings and sample background findings