Breast fine needle aspiration cytology. Utility as a screening tool for clinically palpable lesions.

We examined breast fine needle aspiration cytology's role as a screening tool in addition to mammography and clinical examination for palpable breast lesions, circumventing operative biopsy of benign lesions while identifying cancer for definitive treatment and significant ductal proliferations that need histologic evaluation, such as atypical ductal hyperplasia and marked ductal hyperplasia. Five hundred thirty-three consecutive palpable breast lesions in 498 patients referred to cytopathologists were aspirated and the cytologic findings reported as follows: (1) malignant, treat as any histologic diagnosis of breast cancer (85); (2) suspicious, intraoperative or biopsy confirmation before therapy (11); (3) atypical, biopsy recommended to exclude breast cancer or significant ductal proliferation (atypical ductal hyperplasia and marked ductal hyperplasia) (45); (4) benign, excision not necessary (334); and (5) nondiagnostic, no ductal cells, and biopsy recommended if indicated clinically (58). Excision of 57/85 malignant lesions confirmed cancer in all cases. Follow-up of the remaining 28 patients showed: 17 were undergoing treatment for cancer without surgery, 8 were dead of the disease, and 3 were lost to follow-up. Biopsy of 11/11 suspicious lesions confirmed cancer. Biopsy of 27/45 atypical lesions showed: 1 carcinoma, 12 significant ductal proliferations (1 atypical ductal hyperplasia and 11 marked ductal hyperplasia) and 14 benign, nonproliferative breasts; 18 atypical lesions from 14 patients were not biopsied. Biopsy of 61/334 benign lesions showed 51 benign nonproliferative breasts, 7 missed significant ductal proliferations (6 marked ductal hyperplasia and 1 atypical ductal hyperplasia) and 3 false negatives (3 carcinomas). The three false negatives and the atypical ductal hyperplasia had a biopsy because of an abnormal mammogram. Review of material from false-negative cases showed underinterpretation of cells present on cytology slides in two cases and carcinoma missed by the aspiration needle in one case. The atypical ductal hyperplasia was in a separate, nonpalpable area in the same breast. Biopsy was avoided in 273/334 benign lesions from 249 patients: 86 had no follow-up, 160 had stable lesions, and 3 reported a change in their lesions (mean follow-up, 13 months). One of these three had a biopsy that showed a benign, nonproliferative breast. Biopsy of 11/58 nondiagnostic lesions showed 9 benign nonproliferative breasts, 1 atypical ductal hyperplasia and 1 carcinoma. No biopsy was performed on 47/58 nondiagnostic lesions from 45 patients: 1 had a repeat aspiration that was malignant, 10 had no follow-up, 33 had stable lesions, and 1 had an increase in the size of her lesion (mean follow-up, 13 months).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)