Cancer cytopathology
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Cancer cytopathology · Nov 2013
Cytologic subtyping of lung adenocarcinoma by using the proposed International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) adenocarcinoma classification.
The significance of histologic subtyping of surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) was recently proposed by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) classification. Approximately 70% of lung cancer patients present with advanced disease, and small biopsies or cytology specimens are frequently the only available diagnostic material. It is uncertain whether proposed morphologic subtyping of ADC can be applied to small specimens. The objective of this study was to assess the applicability of morphologic subtyping of ADC on cytologic specimens. ⋯ Application of the IASLC/ATS/ERS ADC classification to cytologic specimens is challenging and depends on the sufficient cellularity of cytologic preparations. The identification of solid and micropapillary patterns is prognostically important but may be unreliable and difficult on cytology specimens. Future studies are needed to establish reproducible cytologic criteria for the precise subtyping of lung ADC on small specimens.