Breast fine needle aspiration biopsy: prevailing recommendations and contemporary practices

Abstract

In 1996, a National Cancer Institute conference was held in Bethesda,Maryland to define parameters for the practice of breast fine needle aspiration (BFNA). Representatives of the American Society of Cytopathology, Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology, American College of Radiology, American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Society of Surgical Oncology, American Academy of Family Physicians, College of American Pathologists, National Consortium of Breast Centers, International Academy of Cytology, American Society of Clinical Pathologists, American Cancer Society, American College of Surgeons, and American Society for Cytotechnology developed and reviewed recommendations. These guidelines were referred to as "The Uniform Approach to Breast Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy." This article reviews these recommendations and the contemporary evolution of the practice of BFNA since their original publication.