Pathology-DNA performs cytological examinations for specialists and general practitioners from the regions of its three locations. These include gynecological examinations such as cervical smears and non-gynecological examinations, such as urine, serous fluids, lung samples, and punctures from various organs. The Pathology-DNA location at Jeroen Bosch Hospital is one of the three screening laboratories of the Dutch Cervical Cancer Population Screening Program.

After receiving and processing the material, the cells are smeared or applied to a microscope slide using a thin-layer method. After air-drying or fixing in fixative, the cells can be stained for microscopic evaluation. A cytology analyst assesses the slides. Diagnosis involves examining, among other things, whether the cells exhibit abnormalities (in the shape or size of the nucleus and/or cytoplasm) and their underlying arrangement (in groups or not).
The cytology analyst reports the findings and provides a proposed diagnosis to the pathologist. The abnormal and partially normal slides are also assessed by the pathologist. Cytological examination often provides an answer to the diagnostic question. If helpful, immunocytochemical or molecular analysis can be performed. Sometimes cytological examination is insufficient, and histological examination is necessary to provide a (more detailed) answer to research questions.

The advantage of cytological examination over histological examination is that the collection of the material is less stressful for the patient and, because the processing is shorter, the results are available sooner.