Selected quotes

 
"The controversy will continue, and should continue, until such time as accurate biological test for premalignancy is discovered. This may come from histochemical studies." (Morson, 1962) [1]
 
"Adenomatous polyps and villous adenomas are the commonest names we give to a histologic spectrum which is all one process of epithelial dysplasia showing the same cytologic features which we recognize in other organs, for example in the cervix, as precancerous." (Morson, 1974) [2]
 
"Many of the problems related to these changes have arisen because of confusing terminology and there is no doubt in the past many of these terms have been used interchangeably. There have been recent attempt by pathologists with an interest in this field to agree on the use of these terms . . . I defined dysplasia as a process of disordered cell growth indicative of neoplastic transformation and, by definition; this excludes all reactive or equivocal changes." (Riddell, 1981) [3]
 
"Morson and Dawson in their textbook have suggested that severe dysplasia can be regarded as synonymous with carcinoma in situ. 'They also say that precancer implies only an increased susceptibility to invasive carcinoma but it is used by us as a clinical counterpart for grade of severe dysplasia.' these statement indicate their own personal opinions and to my mind raise certain problems in interpretation and confusion for the surgeon." (Lumb, 1981) [3]
 
"The term 'precancer'and 'premalignant change' are both terms that are so hackneyed that I do not use them. However, I understand them both to include dysplasia as defined above but also even the equivocal lesions which may well be the earliest manifestation of these changes. Others, however, use them in a more specific manner." (Riddell, 1981) [3]
 
"I believed one should grade dysplasia. I am not convinced that one can make the statement that carcinomas arise from carcinoma in situ. Certainly if one relates our experience of carcinoma in situ in the cervix uteri, it is clear that this is not a simple problem." (Lumb, 1981) [3]
 
"The premise that all carcinomas arise from carcinoma in situ is incorrect, and this applies to virtually any site in the body. In some, particularly squamous cell carcinomas, one may find squamous epithelium that matures at the surface yet exhibits dysplasia in the basal layers from which an infiltrating carcinoma may arise directly. A similar situation exists in both adenomas of the large bowel and colitis carcinomas." (Riddell, 1981) [3]
 
"As far as I am concerned, when dysplasia is used as defined above (see question 1), it is capable at that point of giving rise directly to an invasive adenocarcinoma. On these ground, it can therefore be argued that once a patient reveals evidence of dysplasia, it is time to do a colectomy—a view to which I personally subscribe." (Riddell, 1981) [3]
 
"Dysplasia in ulcerative colitis is obviously a topic of considerable controversy and interest . . . One pathologist's severe dysplasia may be another pathologist's mild to moderate dysplasia or even reactive changes." (Hamilton, 1981) [3]
 
"Adenoma is the generic term for 3 types of benign epithelial neoplasm: tubular adenoma, villous adenoma, and tubulovillous adenoma. Histologically, adenomas show cellular changes commonly found in malignant neoplasms. Thus there is nuclear atypia consisting of loss of basal polarity, variation in size and shape, nuclear hyperchromasia, increase in number of mitosis, and a change in nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio. In addition, there is frequently a qualitative and quantitative change in cytoplasmic mucin." (Lewin, 1985) [4]
 
"There is universal agreement that carcinoma is often found in villous adenoma. The reported frequency varies from 30% to 70% of villous adenomas." (Lewin, 1985) [4]
 
"The histopathological diagnosis of epithelial dysplasia in any organ is not a straightforward matter." (Genta, 2001) [5]
 
"Twenty-four to eighty-five percent of villous adenomas contain a carcinoma. However, one must remember that even a 4-mm adenoma may contain an invasive carcinoma." (Fenoglio-Noffsinger, 2003) [6]
 
"By definition, adenomas are dysplastic." (Fenoglio-Noffsinger, 2003) [6]
 
"The diagnosis of dysplasia is so subjective with less than optimal reproducibility to be as useful a marker as needed. Pathologists need a dysplasia stain or a whole set of new markers of high cancer risk presumably molecular and /or genetic, that are not dependent on pathologists diagnosis of dysplasia and their inherent subjectivity." (Appelman, 2004) [7]