Cancer begins with mutation at the microscopic level. For decades, science could not identify these tiny changes before cancer took hold. With the advancement of technology, however, new testing procedures can identify certain types of microscopic cancer in time to prevent it from spreading. Different types of microscopic cancer require different treatment methods.
Microscopic Cervical Cancer
It is possible to identify cervical cancer early because it tends to grow slowly. After an atypical Pap smear, a biopsy is performed to determine the cancer grade, which can range from pre-cancerous cell formation to full carcinoma. A loop electrical excision procedure, employing electrical current to remove affected tissue, may be required. Alternative options like conization, which removes the microscopic cancer with a scalpel, or cryotherapy, which freezes and removes it by laser, may also be suggested. With each option, if surrounding tissue remains healthy, no additional treatment may be required, but these are treatments and not absolute cures.
Microscopic Bladder Cancer
Microscopic bladder cancer usually occurs within the organ's lining. Abnormalities may be identified during routine testing with a cystoscopy done for diagnostic purposes. Most physicians excise tissue for biopsy at that time.
If cancer is confirmed, it is rated to determine which treatment option to use. Immunotheraphy may be used in early stages to place cancer-killing medicines like mitomycin C and bacille Calmette-Guerin directly into the bladder through a catheter. The first subverts DNA in cancer cells to inhibit growth, while the other boosts the immune system so it can fight on its own. In pronounced cases, microscopic cancer cells are removed with a electrocautery tool that also cauterizes the wound at the same time. If a tumor has already formed, a laser may be used instead. When tissue around the damaged cells appear healthy after either procedure, no further treatment may be required, but no guarantee exists against recurrence.
Microscopic Colitis
This form of cancer can be difficult to diagnose. Symptoms, which include diarrhea and cramping of the abdomen, could indicate a variety of heath issues. For this reason, doctors usually do a colonscopy. If microscopic colitis is indeed identified, diet changes and medications may be prescribed to subvert cancer cell growth. If those treatments fail, an ileostomy surgery may be done to reroute the small intestine. Additional drug therapy could also be required. In extreme cases, a colonscopy may also be required.
Microscopic Liver Cancer
Because the liver can regenerate itself, microscopic cancer can often be removed from eligible patients without need for further treatment. In other cases; however, yttrium-90 microsphere therapy may be employed. It threads a small catheter into the artery of the liver to deliver tiny radioactive beads through injection. They allow a focused beam of radiation to externally target the damaged cells, eradicating them while keeping healthy cells in tact. In many cases, the results are overwhelmingly effective both for killing active cells and preventing new ones from forming.
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