Compared to other European and non-European countries the benefits of cytopathology for the diagnosis of many tumors is still underestimated in Germany for traditional reasons. Cytological methods provide excellent material from many organs for morphological, immunochemical and molecular examinations so that a definitive diagnosis is cytologically possible in many cases and the number of exploratory surgical operations could therefore be reduced. Improvements in this deplorable situation will only be possible if a standardized training period in cytology is consistently included in the training of general pathologists. This requires organizational and infrastructural changes within the institutes of pathology. In this respect, the university institutes as important training institutions should lead the way.