[Cytologic diagnosis of pulmonary cancer in the Czech Republic]

Cytological diagnostic of the lung cancer belongs to routine examinations. The aim of our study was to describe the development of the method in the Czech Republic during the last 20 years, and to evaluate the contribution of clinical cytologist and pathologists in this diagnostical method of the bronchogenic carcinoma.

61 stations of bronchology in the Czech Republic were requested (interrogatory method), evaluable responses were obtained from 58 stations (95.0%). Samples for micromorphological examination were send to laboratories of clinical cytology (20) or pathology (23). Samples from 15 stations are send to both departments. From the total of 91,477 of evaluated samples 64,404 were examined at departments of clinical cytology (70.4%) and 27,073 at departments of pathology (29.6%). Results from departments of clinical cytology arrive earlier (in average after 2.3 days) than from pathologies (4.9 days). Out of 4547 micro-morphologically proved lung carcinomas, 3913 (86%) were diagnosed at departments of clinical cytology and 634 (14%) at departments of pathology.

At present, 70% of the micromorphological diagnostics is being done at laboratories of clinical cytology, 30% at departments of pathology. 86% of diagnoses of the bronchogenic cancer verified micro-morphologically come from laboratories of clinical cytology, 14% from departments of pathology.