From Maureen Zakowski and colleagues: Cytology's role in managing lung cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21768461

J Clin Oncol. 2011 Aug 20;29(24):3331-2; author reply 3332-3. Epub 2011 Jul 18.
Role of cytology in the management of non-small-cell lung cancer.
Fischer AH, Cibas ES, Howell LP, Kurian EM, Laucirica R, Moriarty AT, Renshaw AA, Zakowski MF, Young NA.
Comment on
J Clin Oncol. 2010 Dec 20;28(36):5311-20.

"The morphologic features that distinguish squamous cell carcinoma (predominantly keratinized cytoplasm and intercellular bridges) from adenocarcinoma (mucin vacuoles and gland formation) span less than the 250-μm inner diameter of a 25-gauge fine needle. These features are apparent in cytology samples without histologic sectioning, and they can certainly be identified in cell block sections. International consensus criteria for lung cancer diagnosis have been developed by a multidisciplinary group that included pathologists, and these criteria encompass cytology samples.2 As noted by Langer et al,1 immunohistochemical markers may be required for subclassification of non–small-cell carcinoma in biopsies, and these immunohistochemical markers have been widely applied to cytologic samples."