microtumors
Microtumors are small, early-stage tumor lesions that are typically less than five millimetres in diameter and often located in the glandular tissues of the breast, prostate, or other epithelial organs. While the term is most commonly applied to breast cancer, it has also been observed in glandular cancers such as prostate and ovarian cancers. A microtumor is usually identified through imaging techniques such as mammography, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), often as a radiographic density or an area of abnormal tissue architecture on biopsy.
In the breast, microtumors are usually classified as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) or early invasive carcinoma.
Therapeutic management varies depending on the type, grade, and receptor status of the microtumor, as well as
Research into microtumors is ongoing, with particular focus on the molecular drivers that enable early tumorigenesis