Follow-up of patients with aspirated breast cysts is necessary
H. Hamed, A. Coady, M. A. Chaudary and I. S. Fentiman
Clinical Oncology Unit, Guy's Hospital, London, England.
A review was conducted of 401 women who presented with breast lumps that
proved to be cysts by yielding fluid on aspiration. The aim was to
determine the proportion of patients with cancers that masqueraded as cysts
and to establish whether short-term follow-up was necessary. After the
first visit, six patients had biopsies because of a residual mass or a
bloodstained aspirate. Of these patients, two were found to have cancer.
After the follow-up visit, 20 further biopsies were carried out for
presence of a mass, bloodstained fluid, or recurrent fluid, and two more
cancers were diagnosed. Of the four patients with malignancy, only one had
an intracystic carcinoma, two had necrotic grade 3 ductal carcinomas, and
one had a malignant phyllode tumor. These findings underline the value of a
single return visit after cyst aspiration.
