August 2018

August 2018—In today’s less-is-more world, health care consumers and providers often seek explicit and detailed information from minimally invasive procedures and tiny samples. Over are the days of “malignant cells present” and on to the next case. Cytopathologists and cytotechnologists are embracing and integrating novel techniques and applying new methods to the diagnosis and classification of essentially every imaginable form of neoplasia. The 2018 WHO publications confirm that 29 percent of deaths worldwide (more than 10 million people annually) are attributable to communicable diseases.1,2 This means the purpose of procuring many specimens is not to just rule out malignancy but also to diagnose infectious etiologies.

August 2018—Below is a question shared on the ASC listserv. My reply to the question follows. A pathologist colleague who practiced previously as an obstetrician/gynecologist is of the opinion that categorizing the level of abnormality we observe on a Pap test is a waste of time. All the clinician needs to know, he says, is whether the test is normal or abnormal. The Pap test is a screening test, he says correctly, and its only relevance is in pointing out who needs a colposcopy and biopsy.

August 2018—If you are not already using social media professionally, you may not know there is a vibrant and active community of pathologists, including many cytopathologists, on Facebook and Twitter—and getting involved is easy, fun, and educational.