Fine-needle aspiration of metastatic lesions and regional lymph nodes in genitourinary cancer.

A percutaneous fine-needle aspiration biopsy of metastatic tumor and/or retroperitoneal, pelvic, or abdominal lymph nodes was accomplished in 101 patients. A diagnosis of metastatic disease was confirmed by this method in 49 patients. In 26 patients, surgical excisional biopsy or exploratory laparotomy was avoided. An unknown pelvic mass causation was diagnosed in 3 patients. In 15 of 57 patients with localized bladder, prostate, or testis cancer, involvement of regional lymph nodes was confirmed by transabdominal find-needle aspiration. All 57 transabdominal aspirations were performed without complications. The method is inexpensive, safe, and can have a high accuracy in diagnosing a local tumor spread or distant metastases.