A Comparison of Liquid-Based Cytology with Conventional Cytology in Cervical Cancer Screening

Abstract

Objective: To clarify the performance of liquid-based cytology (LBC) and conventional methods of preparing cervical specimens for cytological screening. Study Design: We studied 236,511 patients who participated in a population-based cervical cancer screening program conducted in the Niigata prefecture between 2005 and 2008. The percentage of unsatisfactory specimens and the disease detection rate were compared between specimens prepared by LBC and conventional methods. Results: (1) The LBC method demonstrated a significantly lower percentage of unsatisfactory specimens than the conventional method (1.38 and 11.45%, respectively; p < 0.01). (2) Among the initial women, tumor lesions were detected in 0.57% of those examined with the LBC method, which was significantly higher than the positivity rate of those examined with the conventional method (0.25%; p < 0.05). Among the women with repeat screening, disease was detected in 0.08% of those examined with LBC twice, which was significantly lower than the positivity rates for those examined with the conventional method followed by the LBC method (0.11%) or the conventional method twice (0.16%; p < 0.05). Conclusion: The LBC method is significantly more useful than the conventional method in terms of the low adequacy rate and the high detection rate of cancer in cervical cancer screening in a localized area in Japan.

Oral pemphigus vulgaris: Liquid‐based cytological findings and pitfalls

“…Even so, cases of vaginal PV examined by LBC smears of the uterine cervix have been initially misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (Sq.C.C.) due to the presence of atypical acantholytic cells 7, 8, 9, 10. The cytological features of PV associated with cervical involvement are similar to that seen for PV evaluated by liquid‐based oral smears 6, 8.…”

“…Thus, after preparing the liquid‐based smears collected through the use of a cytobrush, there is a higher specimen resolution that leads to a better cytological morphology. For example, use of LBC during a gynecological diagnosis has helped reduce the number of unsatisfactory specimens, and significantly improved the sensitivity and specificity of these cervical cancer screening tests 7. Even so, cases of vaginal PV examined by LBC smears of the uterine cervix have been initially misdiagnosed as squamous cell carcinoma (Sq.C.C.)…”

Liquid-based and conventional cytology for bronchial washings/bronchoalveolar lavages in the diagnosis of malignancy - An institutional experience

“…[8910] Few researchers have applied LBC technology to BW/lavage specimens and only limited data on its utility is available in the literature.…”

Guía de cribado del cáncer de cuello de útero en España, 2014

“…El material obtenido se conserva inmediatamente tras su extracción en un medio líquido, normalmente de base alcohólica, que permite su almacenaje y transporte, y la extensión se realiza en el laboratorio. Los estudios publicados, incluyendo un metaanálisis, coinciden en que este tipo de citología disminuye los casos inadecuados para diagnóstico, en los que hay que repetir la toma de la muestra, acorta el tiempo de lectura al microscopio y ofrece un discreto aumento de la sensibilidad [76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85] . Un valor añadido de la citología en medio líquido es que no se utiliza todo el material para realizar el estudio citológico, y el material remanente conservado en el líquido de fijación durante semanas a temperatura ambiente permite realizar técnicas adicionales, moleculares como la determinación de VPH, o de inmunocitoquímica, como la detección de p16/KI67, o futuros nuevos marcadores, evitando así una nueva toma y, por tanto, una visita de la paciente, factor que debe tenerse en cuenta en el cálculo de coste-efectividad de esta técnica 79 .…”