Cervical cancer prevention: Feasibility of self-sampling and HPV testing in rural and urban areas of Bolivia: An observational study.

Background: Cervical cancer is a major health problem in Latin America. In 2019, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (La Paz regional site) conducted a pilot study to estimate the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) and the feasibility of HPV screening in Bolivia through self-sampling and portable and transportable laboratory instruments for HPV testing in urban and rural areas.

Methods: Women aged 20-65 years from La Paz (urban area), Toro Toro (rural area), and Acasio (rural area) were enrolled in local public health centers between Dec 1, 2019, and June 30, 2021.

Accuracy and Reproducibility of Cytology Triage in a HPV-Based Primary Screening Setting: A Revision of 384 Pap Tests.

Introduction: After the transition toward the HPV-based screening protocol, which has led to an increase in sensitivity, and in order to bring the specificity back to acceptable values, cytology underwent a change of approach, becoming a triage test. For these reasons, in the Tuscany region (after the recommendations of the GISCi document), it was decided to reduce, as much as possible, the use of ASC-US category in cytology triage, classifying these morphological cases as negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancies (NILM) or LSIL, basing on the grade of nuclear atypia. So, in Italy, in a cytology triage context (HPV primary screening), a modified Bethesda system (TBS) is currently used.

New Screening Strategy Combining Anal Papanicolaou and Human Papillomavirus Tests for Human Papillomavirus-Related Anal Cancer: A Prospective, Single-Center Study.

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of a combined approach of liquid-based anal cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing in predicting patients who should undergo high-resolution anoscopy for the early detection of anal cancer and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN)-2+.

Methods: We conducted a prospective single-center quality improvement study. We consecutively enrolled men who had sex with men (MSM) attending our sexually transmitted disease clinic to undergo anal Papanicolaou (Pap) and HPV tests.

Implementation of a centralized HPV-based cervical cancer screening programme in Tuscany: First round results and comparison with the foregoing Pap-based screening programme.

Objective: To evaluate performance of the first round of HPV-based screening in Tuscany region and compare it with the prior round of Pap-based screening.

Setting: Tuscany region of Italy, where HPV-based cervical cancer screening started in 2013, with a strong level of centralization screening tests at the Regional Laboratory for Cancer Prevention (ISPRO).

Methods: The transition from Pap- to HPV-based screening was initiated for older women and at 3 out of 12 Tuscany Local Health Units (LHUs).

Circulating tumor cells and microemboli can differentiate malignant and benign pulmonary lesions.

The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTC) or microemboli (CTM) in the peripheral blood can theoretically anticipate malignancy of solid lesions in a variety of organs. We aimed to preliminarily assess this capability in patients with pulmonary lesions of suspected malignant nature. We used a cell-size filtration method (ScreenCell) and cytomorphometric criteria to detect CTC/CTM in a 3 mL sample of peripheral blood that was taken just before diagnostic percutaneous CT-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) or core biopsy of the suspicious lung lesion.

Prevalence and number of circulating tumour cells and microemboli at diagnosis of advanced NSCLC.

Purpose: Timing and magnitude of blood release of circulating tumour cells (CTC) and circulating tumour microemboli (CTM) from primary solid cancers are uncertain. We investigated prevalence and number of CTC and CTM at diagnosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients with suspected stage III-IV lung cancer gave consent to provide 15 mL of peripheral blood soon before diagnostic CT-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB).

Pap smear in the prevention of HPV-related anal cancer: preliminary results of the study in a male population at risk.

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and anal cytology, considering a population of HIV-positive and negative men who have sex with men (MSM), at high risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STD), in order to ascertain which of the methods examined is the best screening strategy for the prevention of anal cancer.

Methods: In the period 06/2013-07/2014 at the "MTS Centre" of the University of Florence, 87 male patients, homo/bi-sexual, of which 46 HIV-negative and 41 HIV-positive, were recruited for anal Pap smear and HPV testing. All patients with an "abnormal" cytological result underwent anoscopy with possible biopsy.

On-site evaluation of percutaneous CT-guided fine needle aspiration of pulmonary lesions. A study of 321 cases.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of having a cytopathologist present during percutaneous CT-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) of pulmonary lesions.

Materials And Methods: Three hundred and twenty-one FNAs of lung lesions were performed in 312 patients (218 males, 94 females; age range: 20-86 years; mean age: 66 yrs). Nodule sizes ranged from 0.

Analysis of morphologic patterns of fine-needle aspiration of the breast to reduce false-negative results in breast cytology.

Background: The identification of specific morphologic diagnostic criteria is of paramount importance to optimize the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and to reduce the rate of false-negative results. In the current study, the authors reviewed a consecutive series of false-negative findings observed in the study center to define the presence and degree of cytologic abnormalities. False-negative cases were randomly mixed with true-negative cases and were reviewed by a panel of expert readers in a blinded fashion.

A feasibility study of the use of the AutoPap screening system as a primary screening and location-guided rescreening device.

Background: The AutoPap 300 QC system (Tripath Imaging, Inc., Burlington, NC) is an automated device that was designed to screen conventionally prepared cervical smears and, more recently, thin-layer slide preparations. The system has been tested in large clinical trials.