Biopsies Examined And Explained - Cancer & Biopsy

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Biopsies Examined And Explained

Cancer & Biopsy

_http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p52.htm_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p52.htm)

The word " biopsy " simply means a look at life. " Bio " means life, and the

rest of the word comes from a Greek root meaning " vision. "

So a " biopsy " is a piece of living tissue removed from your body so that it

can be examined, or looked at. The examination for cancer is also simple.

Each different cell of the body has its own rate of cell division. If some

cell lives an average of 20 days, then on the average about 5% of those cells,

on any one day, would be in the process of dividing. That is, if there are

20 cells you are looking at, and they each live an average of 20 days, then

one of them is likely to be just recently created while one is about to die.

One of those 20 cells, or 5%, is probably in the midst of cell division.

So, a doctor looks at a slide, showing the " slice " of life from your tissue

and finds, let us say, that 25% of the cells are in the process of dividing.

That would be five times more than would be expected for that type of cell.

A cell that is dividing will look different under the microscope than other

cells that are not dividing.

Since cancer cells generally multiply more rapidly than regular cells, the

doctor can now conclude that this sample of cells is malignant -- growing too

fast. The biopsy shows cancer!

The sample for this examination can be done with a needle, or some other

instrument, but generally the doctors claim that cutting into a suspicious lump

will NOT allow any of the cells in that lump to escape through the hole or

cut to spread in the body.

They are wrong. You should not get a biopsy unless you are fully informed

on what treatments will be offered if the biopsy turns out to show cancer.

Once you are fully informed, there is no reason to avoid the biopsy. But, if,

after being fully informed you decide that you would not accept the

treatments that will be offered, then the biopsy would force you into treatment

more

rapidly than you might choose. There is considerable risk that a biopsy will

cause a spreading of any cells that have been examined in some lump.

The main article in this web section has an excellent presentation about

biopsies. The above is only a brief summary. And, listed below are some of

the

other pages in this web site where you can read various authors about the

subject of biopsies.

_The Biopsy Report: A Patient's Guide_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p2.htm) Here is an excellent general

description of biopsies.

_Dangers Of Cancer Spread From A Biopsy_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p12.htm)

_Mammography Particularly Useful in Detecting Slow-Growing, Non-Aggressive

Tumors_ (http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p13.htm)

_Prostate Cancer Is Slow Growing_ (http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p14.htm)

_Biopsy Is Major Risk Factor In Testicular Cancer_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p25.htm)

_Mole Biopsy & Removal_ (http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p26.htm)

_Will the Biopsy Spread Cancer?_ (http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p27.htm)

_Report of Cancer Spreading After Biopsy_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p28.htm)

_Needle Biopsy Associated Tumor Tracking of Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p29.htm)

_Biopsy Seeds Spreading Cancer_ (http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p30.htm)

_Tumor seeding after fine needle puncture or biopsy of hepatic lesions_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p31.htm)

_Seeding Of Cancer Caused By Biopsy_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p32.htm)

_Doctor: Why I avoid needle biopsy_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p33.htm)

_On The Insanity of Pap Smear Practice_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p5.htm)

_On Dermatologists and Dermatopathologists_

(http://www.karlloren.com/biopsy/p6.htm)