A study evaluating liquid-based endometrial cytology test and transvaginal ultrasonography as a screening tool for endometrial cancer in 570 postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the combination of transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) and endometrial cytology test (ECT) as a potential diagnostic strategy for endometrial cancer and endometrial precancerous lesions in postmenopausal patients.

METHODS

570 postmenopausal patients admitted in our hospital due to abnormal bleeding or other symptoms and/or with endometrium thickness over 5 mm on ultrasound. The endometrial thickness was evaluated by TVS. Following obtainment with written consent, all patients underwent ECT, hysteroscopy and then dilatation and curettage (D&C). Cytological sampling was conducted by scratching the uterus cavity using SAP-1 and the samples were prepared as liquid-based smear using SurePath technology. The samples were stained using Papanicolaou method. The correlation between cytological diagnosis and TVS results with the D&C histological diagnosis was analyzed. The WHO classification was used for diagnosis.

RESULTS

Sensitivity of ECT, TVS, ECT or TVS positive, ECT and TVS positive to diagnose atypical hyperplasia or worse were estimated at 80.7%, 86.8%, 97.4%, 70.2%, specificity at 94.7%, 20.4%, 17.5%, 88.4%, positive predictive value at 58.2%, 21.1%, 22.8%, 60.2%, negative predictive value at 94.4%, 86.1%, 96.4%, 92.2%, and accuracy at 84.6%, 33.7%, 33.5%, 84.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Transvaginal ultrasonography and Endometrial cytology test may be regarded as a effective first-line method in endometrial pathology detection in postmenopausal women.