Can Doing A Biopsy Spread Cancer? Expert Busts The Biggest Myth That Leads To Cancer Diagnosis Delays

Despite major advances in cancer treatment globally and in India, one deeply entrenched myth continues to endanger lives, the belief that a biopsy can cause cancer to spread. This misconception often leads patients and families to delay or refuse diagnostic procedures, sometimes until the disease reaches an advanced, less treatable stage. On World Cancer Day 2026, observed on February 4 annually, cancer specialists are urging the public to confront this myth with science and facts. According to oncologists, biopsy remains the gold standard for cancer diagnosis, and no modern cancer care pathway can safely proceed without it. The fear that "cutting" or "touching" a tumour causes cancer to spread has no scientific basis when biopsies are performed using established medical protocols.

"Biopsy is an important step in the diagnosis and management of cancer that no other test can replace," says Dr. Rajashekhar Jaka, Consultant - Surgical Oncology and Robotic Surgery, Manipal Hospital Whitefield. "Unfortunately, there is a deeply rooted myth that biopsy causes cancer spread. There is absolutely no truth to this belief."

Why Biopsy Is Essential And Why The Myth Is Dangerous

A biopsy involves removing a small tissue sample from a suspicious lesion so it can be examined under a microscope. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), biopsy is the only definitive way to confirm whether a tumour is cancerous and to determine its exact type.

Dr. Jaka explains that not every suspicious mass is cancer. "Many conditions that look like cancer on scans or clinical examination may actually turn out to be tuberculosis, fungal infections or other non-cancerous diseases," he says. "Without a biopsy, there is a real risk of misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment."

Mislabeling a disease as cancer can expose patients to toxic therapies they do not need, while assuming a cancer is "benign" without tissue confirmation can delay life-saving intervention.

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One Cancer Is Not Like Another: Why Tissue Matters

Modern oncology has moved far beyond treating cancer as a single disease. Even cancers arising from the same organ can behave very differently. "Every cancer has multiple subtypes with distinct characteristics," Dr. Jaka explains. "For example, lung cancer has many varieties, and each requires a different treatment approach and has a different prognosis. Unless we know the exact type of cancer, effective treatment is simply not possible."

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasises that accurate histopathological diagnosis is essential for appropriate cancer management and survival outcomes.

Biopsy in the Era of Precision Medicine

With advances in technology, the role of biopsy has expanded beyond diagnosis to guide precision and personalised cancer therapy. "Today, biopsy tissue undergoes advanced testing such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and molecular mutation analysis," says Dr. Jaka. "These tests help identify which targeted therapies or immunotherapies are likely to work."

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), molecular profiling from biopsy samples allows doctors to match patients with treatments that improve survival while reducing unnecessary toxicity. "In many high-risk patients, biopsy results allow us to avoid chemotherapy altogether and opt for less toxic targeted drugs," Dr. Jaka adds.

Biopsy Helps Avoid Overtreatment in Certain Cancers

In several cancers, biopsy plays a critical role in preventing excessive or unnecessary treatment. "In oral cavity cancers, a simple punch biopsy is often enough because the tumour is visible to the naked eye," Dr. Jaka explains. "In cervical cancer, many lesions are pre-invasive and do not require radical surgery or radiation."

A biopsy helps doctors determine whether a cervical lesion is invasive or non-invasive, guiding conservative management when possible. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) confirms that early biopsy-guided intervention significantly reduces overtreatment and long-term complications.

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Does Biopsy Ever Spread Cancer? The Science Says No

Large studies reviewed by the American Cancer Society show that cancer spread due to biopsy is extremely rare and does not affect long-term survival when standard techniques are used. "Biopsies are performed in a highly controlled and methodical manner," Dr. Jaka stresses. "The benefits of knowing exactly what we are dealing with far outweigh any theoretical risk."

As India marks World Cancer Day 2026, doctors emphasise that dispelling myths around biopsy is critical to improving cancer outcomes. Biopsy is not the enemy, it is often the gateway to early diagnosis, targeted treatment and cure. "To sum up," says Dr. Jaka, "biopsy is the only test that tells us what the tumour truly is, how aggressive it may be, how it will respond to treatment, and whether newer therapies like immunotherapy can be offered. Delaying it only delays the chance of survival."

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