Current Topics and Practical Considerations of Cytology Practice in Lung Cancer: Reflexions from the Lung Symposium at the 42nd European Congress of Cytology, Malmö, 2019

Acta Cytol. 2020;64(5):463-470. doi: 10.1159/000506724. Epub 2020 Apr 7.

Abstract

In June 2019, a lung symposium was held at the 42nd European Congress of Cytology in Malmö, Sweden. Due to the current importance of cytological samples in the diagnoses and molecular analysis to set up the utmost management of lung cancer patients, cytologists from different countries shared the experience of their institutions. The place of the cytological samples gains more and more importance on the potential long-term survival gain through personalized medicine and this harbors the improvement of the guidelines both in pathology and cytology field. In this symposium, the new 6-tiered reporting system for pulmonary cytology proposed by the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology and detailed cytomorphological approach to lung carcinoma including lookalike lesions and DNA- and RNA-based analysis of cytology material have been discussed. The cytopathologist plays a pivotal role in ensuring success of a correct triage for the cytology material to be sure of the adequacy and quality of the yield from the rapid on-site evaluation till the report which should encompass molecular profile in rational patient management.

Keywords: Cytology; Cytomorphology of lung; Cytopathology; Lung; Lung cancer; Molecular testing; Respiratory system; Targeted therapy; The new guidelines of respiratory cytology of Papanicolaou Society of Cytology.

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Cytodiagnosis / methods*
  • Europe
  • High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Pathology, Molecular
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic / standards*
  • Precision Medicine
  • Societies, Medical
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor