DIAGNOSIS OF CANCER – INTERNAL CANCERS (ENDOSCOPIC METHODS)
Similar instruments have been developed for looking into some of the body cavities. This is nowhere near as major a procedure as an actual operation. The laparoscope (or peritoneoscope) can be inserted through a small cut in the abdominal wall. Through this the doctor can see the outside of many organs such as the liver, spleen, intestines, urinary bladder, ovaries and uterus (womb). A similar instrument called a thoracoscope can be used to look at the outside of the lungs. With mediastinoscopy, an instrument is inserted through the skin of the neck to look down behind the breastbone at some of the lymph nodes which drain the lung.
The main advantage of endoscopic methods is that they are safe. They may be uncomfortable but they do not involve radiation, surgery or (usually) general anaesthetics. The main disadvantage is that they require sophisticated, expensive equipment and experienced people to operate them. This means that they are not always available. Like all methods they are also not foolproof— abnormalities may be missed, even by experienced operators. Endoscopic methods are not available for every part of the body. One way and another, it is often necessary to use other methods instead of, or as well as, endoscopy.
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