title: The diagnostic and prognostic role of liquid-based cytology: are we ready to monitor therapy and resistance?
abstract: Here, we evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of liquid-based cytology (LBC) in different body lesions, including thyroid, lung, effusions and malignant breast lesions. LBC has gained consensus after being applied to both non-gynecologic and fine-needle aspiration cytology. Although some remain sceptical regarding the diagnostic efficacy of LBC, mainly when used alone, in recent years, good results have been obtained as long as it showed a high diagnostic accuracy. Here, we discuss the additional possibility of storing material for the application of ancillary techniques (immunocytochemistry-molecular analysis) with several diagnostic and prognostic advantages, which may pave the way for the challenging evaluation of both monitoring responses to treatment and resistance to targeted therapies in thyroid, lung, breast carcinoma or malignant effusions. Furthermore, it provides the use of several molecular spots as specific targets for personalized therapy.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomic Pathology and Histology - Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, "Agostino Gemelli" School of Medicine, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Esther Diana
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bizzarro
authors.forename: Adhemar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Longatto-Filho
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gerhard
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schmitt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D003584:Cytological Techniques / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: effusions; immunocytochemistry; liquid-based cytology; malignancy; molecular analysis; nodular lesions; targeted therapies