Study finds minimally invasive procedure could spread uterine cancer

Study finds minimally invasive procedure could spread uterine cancer
(Image credit: iStock)

A new study released Tuesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association cautions doctors about using power morcellation to remove the uterus, a procedure close to 50,000 women undergo each year.

Considered to be minimally invasive, power morcellation uses a device to cut uterine tissue into smaller pieces that are then removed via tiny incisions. However, researchers discovered that it's more common than previously thought for a woman undergoing the procedure to have undetected cancer; if the device cuts tumors they might spread cancer cells through the abdomen.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.