Cytopathology in Low Medical Infrastructure Countries: Why and How to Integrate to Capacitate Health Care.

Fine-needle aspiration cytology is a rapid, accurate, minimally invasive, inexpensive biopsy technique requiring minimal laboratory infrastructure and proceduralist costs. It provides infectious and noncommunicable disease diagnoses and will play an essential role in the establishment of cancer services in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). The use of molecular and other ancillary tests on cytology material is rapidly expanding in high-income countries and will spread to LMICs. Establishing cytology services requires increased training of cytopathologists and cytotechnologists, increased education of clinicians in the use of diagnostic cytopathology, and commitment and funding from governments and specialist training groups.