Biopsies don’t promote cancer spread, research... - CLL Support

CLL Support

22,366 members38,466 posts

Biopsies don’t promote cancer spread, researchers report

AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeilAdministrator
0 Replies

Most of us have probably had a biopsy for a suspicious lump and those of us with SLL, may very well have been diagnosed by a biopsy on a swollen node. What with our increased risk of developing secondary cancers and knowing how cancers are more dangerous when they begin to spread, I'm sure many of us have wondered if having a biopsy could actually cause cancer to begin spreading?

That's one less thing we have to worry about, thanks to a study recently reported in Gut:

gut.bmj.com/content/early/2... (abstract)

“This study shows that physicians and patients should feel reassured that a biopsy is very safe,” said study author Michael Wallace, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

“We do millions of biopsies of cancer a year in the US, but one or two case studies have led to this common myth that biopsies spread cancer.”

The study was based on monitoring 11 years of Medicare data from 498 pancreatic cancer patients that had had biopsies and subsequently underwent surgery with 1,536 patients who didn't have a biopsy. Reassuringly, those that did have a biopsy out-survived those that didn't.

Overview article (free registration to Hematology Times required)

hematologytimes.com/p_artic...

Neil

Photo: Raindrops on a clothes line

Written by
AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeil
Administrator
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...

You may also like...

Canadian Study...treatment increases risk of secondary cancers in CLL

CLL patients had a 1.7-fold increased risk of second cancers compared with untreated CLL patients....

Survey on CLL with Allergies

everyone, I was just wondering if all CLL Patients have allergies. I have allergies to chemicals,...

Vaccines, 3rd dose, LLS results and more

CLL and BTKi patients than in other studies. Most untreated or 1 year post treatment patients were...

Fist Bumps & the Zombie Apocalypse

Radio report which was itself based on the above study:...

CLL SOCIETY'S ASH POSTER on our Free second opinion program plus two important papers from ASCO

succumb to second cancers. This ASCO abstract studies second cancers in CLL patients on ibrutinib...