Tumor type was successfully identified in what proportion of cases by cytology compared with histology?

• A. 50% for cytology and 55% for histology
• B. 70% for cytology and 80% for histology
• C. 30% for cytology and 40% for histology
• D. 90% for cytology and 95% for histology

Answer: (A)

Identifying tumor type relies on tissue context and architecture, which histology provides but cytology only partially. In this scenario, the tumor type was successfully identified in about half of cytology cases and in about 55% of histology cases. The modest gain with histology reflects that while architectural features and, when available, immunohistochemistry help, many cases remain challenging to subtype due to overlapping morphologies or sampling limitations. The other options imply much higher accuracy levels that are unlikely given the inherent limitations of cytology and the incremental benefit of histology in this context.