Together, improvements in cytology specimen collection and advances in IHC technology have led to what in cytology?

• A. No change
• B. Reduced accuracy
• C. Increased sensitivity and specificity
• D. Increased cost only

Answer: (C)

Improvements in how cytology specimens are collected, along with advances in immunohistochemistry, raise diagnostic accuracy by making samples richer in usable cellular material and by enabling precise protein-based identification of cells. Better collection yields samples that are representative and well preserved, reducing artifacts and non-diagnostic results. IHC adds specificity by applying targeted markers to the cells or cell blocks, helping distinguish benign from malignant processes and identifying the origin or subtype of a lesion. Together, these advances increase both sensitivity (catching more true cases) and specificity (avoiding false positives), leading to more reliable diagnoses. The other options don’t fit because the net effect is not no change or cost alone; accuracy improves with these advances.