Is conventional urinary cytology still reliable for diagnosis of primary bladder carcinoma? Accuracy based on data linkage of a consecutive clinical series and cancer registry.

Objective: Reported urine cytology accuracy, particular sensitivity, is highly variable. We evaluated the accuracy of urinary cytology for primary bladder cancer using population data linkage to provide valid estimates.

Study Design: Consecutive cytology tests processed through a major service between January 2000 and December 2004 were linked to a regional population cancer registry (allowing outcome ascertainment).

The use of digital images to evaluate the interobserver agreement on cervical smear readings in Italian cervical cancer screening.

Objective: The aim of this study was to measure interobserver agreement among cytologists on using a set of digital images.

Methods: A set of 90 selected Papanicolaou-stained cervical smears were digitalized and the digital images circulated among 117 readers, from laboratories spread across almost all Italian regions. Three representative fields of each smear were displayed at 20× and 40× magnification (overall six images for each case).

Interlaboratory reproducibility of liquid-based equivocal cervical cytology within a randomized controlled trial framework.

Within a multicentre controlled trial framework, an external quality control (EQC) was scheduled to evaluate the interlaboratory reproducibility of liquid-based cytology. In particular, this EQC intended to evaluate the reproducibility of the ASCUS diagnosis.A selected set of 30 slides (4 within normal limit cases, 16 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance; 4 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and 6 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions) circulated among the 13 laboratories involved in the trial.

Accuracy of liquid based versus conventional cytology: overall results of new technologies for cervical cancer screening: randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To compare the accuracy of conventional cytology with liquid based cytology for primary screening of cervical cancer.

Design: Randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Nine screening programmes in Italy.

Reliability of sparing Papanicolaou test conventional reading in cases reported as No Further Review at AutoPap-assisted cytological screening: survey of 30,658 cases with follow-up cytological screening.

Background: AutoPap-assisted smear reading has been proposed prior to conventional manual reading; the latter may be unnecessary for cases reported as No Further Review (NFR) and would be required for cases reported as Review (REV).

Methods: The authors evaluated comparable concurrent screening cohorts who were undergoing a conventional manual (CONV) or an AutoPap-assisted smear reading within the same screening program. The authors evaluated the prevalence of CIN2+ at repeat screening in subjects 1) with a negative report at conventional Papanicolaou test (CONV- = 9605), 2) with a REV report at AutoPap, followed by a negative conventional reading (REV- = 17,576), and 3) with a NFR report at AutoPap, followed by a negative rapid review (NFR- = 3477) at previous (baseline) screening.