title: [Early cancer--the concept, and its relationship with carcinoma in situ, superficial carcinoma and micro-carcinoma].
abstract: The concept, "early cancer", is a carcinoma at the stage which can be cured by treatment. This idea was first proposed in the field of stomach cancer in 1962. After that, the concept was gradually accepted for cancers of other organs. Carcinoma in situ (or non-invasive carcinoma) is the name for a carcinoma whose invasion is not yet beyond the basement membrane. Superficial carcinoma is a carcinoma whose invasion is limited to mucosa or submucosa with or without lymph node metastasis. The name micro-carcinoma is generally used for a cancer visible only through a microscope or an incidental cancer or a latent cancer. All carcinomas in situ and most superficial carcinomas and micro-carcinomas are included in the term "early cancer".
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Saitama Cancer Center.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsuchiya
mesh_terms: D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology