Fine-needle cytology in the follow-up of breast carcinoma.

The postoperative follow-up strategies for breast carcinoma (BC) utilize different procedures; the aim of this study was to investigate the role of fine-needle cytology (FNC) in the follow-up of BC patients. Two hundred sixty-six FNC samples from 190 BC patients have been reviewed. The target anatomical sites were 190 breast including 155 ipsilateral and 145 contralateral breast lesions and 76 extra-mammary nodules. Extra-mammary lesions included lymph nodes, thyroidal nodules, soft tissue lesions, (subcutaneous and sub-scars), salivary glands and deep located masses. Diagnostic distribution of the breast lesions was as follows: 51 positive, 15 indeterminate/suspicious, 119 negative and 5 inadequate. Positive cases included 43 ipsilateral and 8 contralateral BC, 9 BC in different quadrants from those of onset of the first BC. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy have been 90, 91 and 90&, respectively. FNC, in a correct setting, is a reliable and effective method for the follow-up management of BC patients.