Frequency of tumor diathesis in smears from women with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of tumor diathesis (TD) in cervicovaginal smears from patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SQC).


METHODS
We reviewed all the cervical smears obtained no more than one year before a biopsy diagnosis of SQC. Patients who underwent irradiation to the cervix before the smear was taken were excluded from the analysis. The smears were rescreened by both authors, and the presence and extent of TD were recorded.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight smears from 19 patients with SQC fulfilled the study criteria. TD was seen in 15 of the 28 smears (54%). There was a positive correlation between the presence of TD and the depth of invasion.


CONCLUSIONS
Although an important criterion of malignancy, TD is absent from some cases of SQC, particularly those that invade < 5 mm. A definite distinction between an intraepithelial lesion and a shallow invasive cancer may not be possible on cervicovaginal smears.
Rushing
L
L
Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Cibas
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ES
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D014626:Vaginal Smears