Keeping collecting device in liquid medium is mandatory to ensure optimized liquid-based cervical cytologic sampling

Area of Science:

• Cytopathology
• Cervical Cancer Screening

Background:

• Liquid-based cytology (LBC) is a widely used method for cervical cancer screening.
• Proper sample handling is crucial for accurate cytopathological analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify cellular material loss when the collecting device is discarded in LBC.
• To assess the impact of discarding the device on the endocervical component in cervical samples.

Main Methods:

• Cervical scrapes were divided into two subsamples: one rinsed from the device, the other the device discarded.
• Material loss was quantified, and homogeneity of the endocervical component was assessed.
• A two-way analysis of variance was used to analyze loss based on gynecologist and rinsing rotations.

Main Results:

• Approximately 37% of cellular material was lost when the collecting device was discarded.
• Material loss varied among gynecologists and was influenced by rinsing intensity, though never fully eliminated.
• Discarded subsamples frequently contained a higher proportion of endocervical clusters.

Conclusions:

• Discarding the collecting device in LBC introduces significant cellular material loss, similar to conventional smears.
• This loss of cellular material may compromise the accuracy of cervical cancer detection.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the clinical implications of this material loss on cancer detection rates.