157 transthoracic fine-needle aspirations were performed on 139 patients, who were suspected to have lung cancer between 1985and 1988 in our clinic. We confirmed the diagnosis or tumour on 107patients with surgery or clinico-radiologic follow-up, for at least six months. 84 (79 percent) of these patients were true positive, 4 were suspicious cancer, 19 (17 percent) were false negative. 10 patients (6 percent) experienced minimal pneumothorax, which didn't required surgical drainage for re-expansion. Minimal hemoptysis occurred in four patients (3 percent).