During the last 5 years wire-marked biopsies of nonpalpable mammary lesions have been performed with use of local anesthesia in our out-patient department. The diagnostic accuracy and the complication rate were comparable with those reported from biopsies in general anesthesia. The patients tolerated the procedure well. A malignant: benign diagnostic ratio of 1:2.7 was obtained by close collaboration between the participating surgeons, radiologists and pathologists.