Liquid-based endometrial cytology using SurePath TM is not inferior to suction endometrial tissue biopsy for detecting endometrial malignancies-Midterm report of a multicenter study advocated by Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a prospective, multicenter study to compare the clinical performance of liquid-based endometrial cytology using SurePathTM with that of the suction endometrial tissue biopsy. This study is officially advocated and reported by the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. By publishing our midterm data, we intend to disseminate the benefits of liquid-based endometrial cytology system, using the descriptive reporting format and algorithmic interpretational approach.

METHODS: From April 2014 to December 2015, we consecutively assessed 1,116 liquid-based endometrial cytology specimens and 1,044 suction endometrial tissue biopsy specimens in our 5 outpatient clinics.

RESULTS: The sensitivity of suction tissue biopsies was 85.2%, whereas the sensitivity of liquid-based endometrial cytology was 92.2%. The specificity of suction tissue biopsies was 98.9%, whereas the specificity of liquid-based endometrial cytology was 98.5%. The negative predictive value of liquid-based endometrial cytology (99.1%) was higher than the negative predictive value of suction endometrial tissue biopsy (98.1%). However, the difference between these values was not significant.

CONCLUSIONS: The clinical performance of liquid-based endometrial cytology for detecting endometrial malignancies was almost identical to the performance of suction endometrial tissue biopsy. This indicates that liquid-based endometrial cytology was not inferior to suction endometrial tissue biopsy for the detection of endometrial cancer. The liquid-based endometrial cytology is appropriate for various clinical situations as the first-step detecting tool. In addition, it could be used for cancer surveillance for women with signs highly suggestive of endometrial malignancies and in Lynch syndrome patients, on a larger scale. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.