title: Infinitesimals, quantum mechanics, and exiguous carcinomas: how to possibly save a patient's larynx.
abstract: Occasionally, a patient will have a minimally invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx that is such a meager carcinoma that, following biopsy, the larynx is surgically removed and the pathologic specimen contains no evidence of residual carcinoma or even significant dysplasia. Such gross overtreatment is a tragedy. How does this happen and what can a pathologist do to help preclude this event?
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrine and Otalaryngic/Head & Neck Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC 20307-6000, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Heffner
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007822:Laryngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures