Sometimes images are not enough. The use of direct visualization has become more and more important in recent years, not only for diagnosing malignancies but in some cases as an aid in treatment
( see "LASER THERAPY" ).
Rigid, thin telescopes have been used for years to look inside body cavities with natural openings. A bronchoscope inserted into the mouth or nose and through the windpipe (trachea) can be used to look inside the lungs. A cystoscope inserted into the urethra can be used to examine the bladder. Sometimes mirrors are used with these rigid scopes to examine, for example, the nasal passage and the back of the mouth (nasopharyngoscope) and the larynx (laryngoscope).
Flexible Scopes Lately, flexible fiber-optic "telescopes" have come into widespread use. These scopes use bundles of glass fibers that can bend around corners and form perfect pictures of the tissues at their far ends. Doctors looking through one end of the scope can look into many areas of the body safely, often with a minimum of sedation or local anesthetic. Not only can your doctor see exactly what's going on in these areas but he or she can also take photographs or remove cell samples.
The inside of the lung passages can be examined easily and quickly with the fiberoptic bronchoscope. A diagnosis of lung cancer can often be made by this method alone, without resorting to the surgical procedures that used to be necessary.
