[Value of fine-needle puncture in the diagnosis of cancer]

Thin needle biopsy, a low-cost procedure that may always be performed on an out-patient basis, allows the diagnosis of malignancy in about 80% to 90% of cases. In the present paper the various fields of the method involving thyroid, breast, lungs, lymph nodes and prostata are discussed. The possibilities and the limits of thin needle biopsy are described in details.