Fine-needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of recurrent carcinoma of the breast in operative scars

Recurrence of carcinoma in scars following surgical treatment of breast carcinoma is a frequent problem. An early diagnosis of recurrent lesions is essential to enable timely management. In this study, the role of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the diagnosis of scar lesions was evaluated in 156 women seen over a period of 12 1/2 yr. Ninety-eight of these on FNAC showed features of a recurrent carcinoma, and in six samples, the FNAC showed suspicious features. In all the six suspicious cases, a subsequent biopsy confirmed a recurrent breast carcinoma. The remaining 52 cases on repeated FNAC were diagnosed as benign, and this was confirmed on a subsequent biopsy. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value for cytologic findings were 94.2, 100, and 100%, respectively. It was concluded that FNAC clearly has a role as a first line of investigation for distinguishing between recurrent malignant and benign lesions in scars in women which have been surgically treated for a breast carcinoma. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.