EVALUATION OF TECHNIQUE AND RESULTS FOR OBTAINING SPUTUM FOR LUNG CARCINOMA SCREENING - A STUDY BY BLIND TECHNIQUE

Abstract

A study and evaluation of the heated aerosol sputum-collection technique for cytologic diagnosis of lung cancer was made, comparing the effectiveness of several different solutions with postural drainage alone. A blind technique was used throughout the study. Postural drainage proved unsatisfactory because of the occurrence of false positive specimens.It was found that of saline, tap water, and a mixture of propylene glycol and hypertonic saline, the last-named mixture was superior in producing sputum which was adequate and satisfactory for cytologic examination. Of the specimens thus obtained, 88.3% were satisfactory compared to 66.6% obtained with the other agents. No false positive results were obtained, and malignancy was diagnosed in every one of the 9 proved cases. Because the method is simple, yields a high percentage of satisfactory specimens, and is shown to be reliable for diagnosis, it should be given consideration for screening large population groups for lung cancer.