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In certain cases. A study has shown that tumour cell seeding can occur during a biopsy and may lead to cancer spread. Tumour cell seeding means that few tumour cells separate from the tumour while performing the biopsy and get deposited in the path of the needle or enter the blood circulation leading to spread. However, this is a very rare phenomenon and not enough to prevent someone from getting the procedure done.
A biopsy is an important procedure that can help your doctor confirm the diagnosis of cancer and plan treatment. During the procedure, a doctor takes a small piece of the abnormal cell growth to study it under the microscope and make a diagnosis. There are different techniques for collecting the sample. However, it is the Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) method that makes people think biopsy can spread cancer. In an FNA procedure, a doctor inserts a fine needle into the suspicious area and collects the sample. This needle may dislodge tumour cells leading to seeding.
Several published research papers have shown that the risk of spread of cancer due to biopsy is absent or very rare. In conclusion, biopsy seems to be a safe procedure for confirming benign and malignant growths.
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