The value of abrasive cytology in the early detection of oesophageal carcinoma. A pilot survey in Ciskei.

The use of abrasive cytology as a screening procedure in the diagnosis of early cancer of the oesophagus among asymptomatic rural Ciskeians was assessed. An inexpensive, locally manufactured brush biopsy capsule was used to obtain cytological material from 1,336 subjects. The technique gives a high yield, has a high predictive value and identifies a high prevalence of sufferers at the detectable preclinical phase of the disease.