AbstractFifty‐eight cases of pancreatic mass lesions investigated by fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) are reported. Biopsies were performed either at laparotomy or percutaneously using ultrasound or computer to mography scanning as a guide. Twenty‐seven biopsies were reported as consistent with or highly suspicious of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas; five with metastatic carcinoma, one with lymphoma and two with islet cell tumours. Nineteen patients had negative biopsies. The false‐negative rate was 11% and four biopsies were unsatisfactory. There were no false‐positive diagnoses. FNAB is an effective way to obtain cytological confirmation of a pancreatic mass