Digital biopsy - a safe guard to prevent mistakes and to...

Digital biopsy - a safe guard to prevent mistakes and to provideupdated information prior to removal of tissue

As implied in my last post, not only could a digital biopsy have prevented the error described in the previous post, it could be a further safe guard during the early stages of the operation.

In other words, in all operations prior to the removal of the purported cancerous tissue a further live digital biopsy should be performed to:

(1) confirm the CA diagnosis,

(2) identify any changes to the relevant area since the last biopsy,

(3) provide greater coverage area than a physical biopsy without damaging the organ,

(4) determine the margin zone between cancerous tissue and non-cancerous tissue,

(5) provide an accurate digital record of the organ’s status before (and after tissue removal),

(6) reduce the risk of the requirement of future operations,

(7) prevent the risk of bleeding and infection (see note)

Importantly, a digital biopsy can eliminate the seeding of cancerous cells which can be a risk for some physical biopsies.

Tumour seeding or needle seeding refers to rare occurrences when the needle inserted into a tumour during a biopsy dislodges and spreads cancer cells. It is sometimes called needle track or tract seeding because the cancer cells grow along the needle’s track.

A safe guard against errors. As you would be aware there have been instances of surgeons operating on the wrong part of the body, for example, the left knee instead of the right knee. Alternately removing part of a cancer free organ.

Note: Physical biopsies carry a small risk of bleeding and infection.

This post complements the previous post titled:

Physical Biopsy Failures – CrossContamination of Sample –Is there an alternative?

Part of a healthy lung removed –Coroner Inquest informed