Reliability of Cytologic Smear in Diagnosis of Oral Cancer: A Controlled Study

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Abstract
IN RECENT years there have been far too many casual and unsupported statements concerning the reliability of biopsies and cytologic smears in the diagnosis of oral cancer and other oral lesions. There are, to date, surprisingly few carefully controlled studies in which significant numbers of oral lesions have been subjected to both cytodiagnostic and histopathologic evaluation and study in each instance.1,2 Many studies in oral cytology have presented data that are not well substantiated, since biopsies were not obtained in all cases.3,4 The problems of this type of study have been discussed.5,6 False positive results in cytologic evaluation present no significant problem, since immediate follow-up and biopsy is mandatory in order to confirm the diagnosis of carcinoma. False negative results in cytologic evaluation present a real hazard in cancer management, since biopsy will often not be done until such time as the clinical features of a proliferating

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