Diagnosis of breast cancer before operation

Fifty clinically malignant breast masses were biopsied in the consulting room with a large bore needle to provide a histological diagnosis before definitive treatment was planned. A correct diagnosis was made for all but one of 39 carcinomas, and for all 11 benign masses. This is, therefore, a useful method of confirming the diagnosis when breast cancer is suspected, but other methods (including open biopsy) are more suitable when breast cancer is to be excluded.