Percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy is particularly advantageous in the diagnosis of metastatic pulmonary lesions, inoperable primary carcinomas, and bronchogenic carcinomas in poor risk patients. The information is useful when planning preoperative radiation therapy. Definitive diagnoses can be made which may often negate the use of an exploratory thoracotomy. A pathologic diagnosis can often be established when other methods, short of exploratory thoracotomy, have failed to prove a diagnosis. The newly designed percutaneous pulmonary biopsy needle has the advantage of adequate length, and a short beveled circumferentially sharpened edge, which result in excellent cores of tissue and a minimum of trauma to the pleura and the pulmonary tissue. The cores of tissue are more representative specimens for pathologic review than those previously obtained with other types of needles.