title: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of sarcomas and related tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Largely due to a lack of experience, familiarity, and/or confidence, few centers rely on simple fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for the diagnosis of sarcomas and related tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors have reviewed their own experience in more than 200 cases of FNAB of bone and soft-tissue tumors, as well as cases reported in the literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FNAB has proven to be accurate and useful in 8 consecutive years of clinical experience. No serious complications have occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNAB is recommended as an integral part of the initial evaluation of amenable orthopaedic tumors, including sarcomas, especially in cases with classic clinical and radiographic findings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1070, USA.
authors.forename: W G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Boles
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002813:Chondrosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000473:pathology; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000473:pathology*; D012512:Sarcoma, Ewing / Q000473:pathology; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*