Can Biopsies Cause Mets?

[caysary]

I understand the slow development of prostate cancer as it attaches itself to the gland (10-15 years) until it tricks the immune system to settle and hence the Gleason grade. But when a needle gun hits a cancerous core and there is bleeding, does that mean cancer cells get released in the blood? Has anyone asked this from the MO?

[Tall_Allen]

Very few reported incidents. Here's the evidence:

prostatecancer.news/2016/08...

[caysary in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks TA.

[cesanon]

My radiation oncologist told me that its basic standard practice to keep cancerous tissue away from blood because there is a risk that it will spread and metastasize.

That is why he preferred non-invasive imaging to biopsies.

Biopsies are the age old gold standard of the medical profession and it is just about impossible for them to get hospital permisson to cut without a biospy.

I don't believe that it is possible for them to know what the risk it. I don't know how you would run a good controlled study.

I believe the conventional wisdom, is yes mixing blood and cancer cells can metastasize the cancer, the value to the biopsy outweighs that risk.

Some docs like to do repeated biopsies. To me that is evidence they just don't care about you and you probably should replace them.

But pretty much everyone with prostate cancer gets one biopsy.

[TWTJr]

The answer is yes, biopsy can and does cause spread of prostate malignancy. The incidence of this complication is not known, but fairly low.