ABSTRACT
<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>There are lots of mucus, blood, inflammatory cells and necrotic material in the pick-and-smear slides, resulting in a low detection rate. Liquid-based cytologic test (LCT) has been applied for cervical cytology diagnosis successfully and widely, however it is few reported yet for sputum cytology diagnosis at present. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical value of LCT in sputum examination of patients with lung cancer, and to find a novel method of early diagnosis of lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cytologic findings and the diagnostic rate for lung cancer were compared between LCT and conventional pick-and-smear method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were smaller area of smear membrane, clearer background, more distinctly cytologic picture and stereoscopic fell by LCT comparing with pick-and-smear method. The diagnostic rate for small cell lung cancer by LCT was significantly higher than that by pick-and-smear method (P < 0.05). After combined detection of the two methods, the diagnostic rate for lung cancer was obviously improved (85.1%), which was remarkably higher than that by pick-and-smear method alone (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>It is operated easily for LCT to be well controlled in making smear and dyeing. LCT may be a novel technique worthy of wide use. Combination of LCT with pick-and-smear method appears to be of great value in clinical application.</p>