RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the clinical value of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for breast cancer surgery.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>FNAC was performed in 530 patients highly suspected of breast cancer from January 2004 to January 2009 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital. The FNAC-positive cases received radical operation directly, while the negative cases received open biopsy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of all 530 cases, 325 cases were FNAC-positive, and the diseases were histopathologically confirmed to be malignant. Among 205 FNAC-negative cases, 137 cases were histopathologically confirmed to be malignant and 68 benign.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>FNAC is useful in the deciding surgical modes for women with potentially malignant diseases.</p>