[Histonet] Touch Preps

[Kemlo Rogerson]

Are any of you doing Touch Preps on Breast tissue to determine whether
or not the margins are free?  If so, are you having success with this
method and do you consider it to be better than a frozen section?
Jennifer

Depends what you are trying to do. If you have a tissue diagnosis and
all you want to do is to check for malignancy or not then I guess touch
preps are fine. If you need a tissue diagnosis then I guess not. We use
FNAC for the diagnosis of breast cancer in our one stop breast Clinics
and I have done them for many years; breast cytology, like so much in
cytology, is only as good as the Cytologist (in some cases) and that
Cytologist must know the limitations of the technique.

IMHO once you know the pitfalls and when to say "I don't know" then
Cytology is useful but I feel it is more 'subjective' than Histology
where you get more information. I am not a Clinician nor medically
qualified but have been 'doing' cytology for 25 years and these are only
my personal views.

Kemlo Rogerson
Pathology Manager
DD   01934 647057 or extension 3311
Mob 07749 754194; Pager 07659 597107;
 
The reason birds can fly and we can't is simply that they have perfect
faith, for to have faith is to have wings. --J.M. Barrie 


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