Needle aspiration cytologic examination in the management of suspicious lesions of the breast

Abstract

The experience of one surgeon with needle aspiration cytologic examination used as an office procedure in the management of suspicious solid lesions of the breast over a period of seven years in presented. Three hundred and thirty-five aspirations were performed with the diagnosis of carcinoma subsequently established in 126 or 37 per cent of the patients. In 79 of these patients (63 per cent) carcinoma was diagnosed preoperatively by positive needle aspiration cytologic examination only. There were no false-positive results. Thus, this group of patients was spared time and added expense of open biopsy before definitive surgical treatment was instituted.