RT Journal
A1 GOLDMAN H
T1 FIne-needle aspiration for breast masses
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 1989
FD April 1
VO 124
IS 4
SP 510
OP 510
DO 10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410040120033
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.1989.01410040120033
AB To the Editor.–If fine-needle aspiration is to make an economic impact on medical care, it must do so by eliminating surgery for benign lesions. This has been accomplished in the management of thyroid lesions, as documented in numerous studies.1-3In the recent report from Seattle, Wash, published in the January 1988 issue of the Archives, this point was not made for breast fine-needle aspiration.4 In fact, there were errors in the calculations presented in Table 2 of that report. If one defines "positive" as any result requiring biopsy and "negative" as indicating conservative close follow-up only, then the calculations are as appear in the accompanying Table.Despite these adjustments, the persistent flaw of the study lies in the five fine-needle aspiration negative results that were biopsy positive. Other studies have shown better results.5-7 One wonders whether increased proficiency with the technique of fine-needle aspiration could have