title: Intraoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) for lung cancer: diagnostic value and risk of pleural dissemination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intraoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is one of the most important diagnostic tools for undiagnosed lung nodules suspected of being lung cancer; however, the sensitivity and safety of FNA, including the risk of intrapleural dissemination of cancer cells, have not been established.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2006 and 2008, 324 patients underwent lung resection for cancers located in the lung periphery. Intraoperative FNA for definite diagnosis was performed immediately after thoracotomy in 147 (45.4%) of these patients, but not in the other 177.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A diagnosis of lung cancer was obtained by the intraoperative FNA in 124 (84.4%) of the 147 patients. During a median follow-up of 55 months, pleural dissemination or malignant effusion ipsilateral to the operated side as the first recurrent site occurred in 11 (7.4%) of the 147 patients who underwent the needle biopsy and 10 (5.6%) of the 177 patients who did not. This difference was not significant (P = 0.5046).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intraoperative FNA was safe and useful for the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer and did not increase the risk of pleural dissemination in this series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Hospital Organization Himeji Medical Center, 68 Honmachi, Himeji City, Hyogo, 670-8520, Japan, matsuoka1971114@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuoka
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Date
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods; D012306:Risk; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted