When surgery spreads cancer: A silent killer in women’s health

For decades, women’s health has been sidelined, underfunded, and overlooked. While progress is being made, some of the most serious threats to women’s health remain hidden in plain sight.

One of the biggest risks is something few women are ever warned about – the silent spread of undiagnosed cancer during routine gynecologic surgery.

Every year, millions of women undergo hysterectomies, myomectomies, and adnexal mass removals due to common uterine conditions – such as uterine fibroids (myomas), which affect 7 in 10 women and 8 in 10 women of colour, making them the leading cause of hysterectomy.

While these surgeries can be medically necessary, they carry an often-overlooked danger – one that can mean the difference between life and death.

Research shows that 1 in 350 women undergoing a hysterectomy or myomectomy has undiagnosed cancer, and for adnexal mass removals, that number is 1 in 100.

If these procedures are performed without proper containment, cancerous cells can spread, drastically lowering survival rates.

Despite these publicly recognised risks that led to hundreds of million-dollar lawsuits a decade ago, hospitals have been shockingly slow to adopt the safest surgical techniques, putting women at unnecessary risk.

The Risk No One Talks About

To minimise scarring and speed up recovery, most gynecologic surgeries are performed laparoscopically, using a technique that is called morcellation – to breaks down larger tissue to small pieces and removing them through a small incision.

When power morcellators were banned in 2014 due to their potential to spread undiagnosed cancer, many assumed the problem had been solved.

But instead of developing safer alternatives, surgeons simply switched to manual morcellation, often using simple bags that are not designed or approved for that use and rupture at alarmingly high rates.

Some hospitals still rely on non-FDA-cleared surgical bags that rupture up to 30 per cent of the time, while even common FDA-cleared containment systems have a 15 per cent failure rate.

This means that women undergoing these procedures are still at risk of cancerous cell spillage – a risk that could and should have been eliminated by now.

Uterine cancer is one of the slowest cancers to be detected, often remaining asymptomatic until later stages.

This makes the risk of undiagnosed malignancy during surgery particularly concerning.

Since current preoperative screenings are not always conclusive, it is imperative to use the safest possible containment techniques to prevent the spread of cancerous cells during gynecologic procedures.

In the U.S. alone, safer containment systems have the potential to protect 400,000 women annually from unnecessary cancer spread.

And it’s not just cancer that’s a concern.

Uncontained morcellation can also spread endometrial cells, potentially leading to or exacerbating endometriosis, a painful and often debilitating condition.

Even benign tissue, if dispersed in the abdominal cavity, can adhere to other organs, causing complications such as bowel obstructions, chronic pain, and diminished quality of life.

These risks are entirely preventable when the right containment tools are used – yet outdated practices continue, leaving women vulnerable to life-altering consequences.

As Dr. Vadim Morozov, MD, puts it:

“As a surgeon, I’ve seen firsthand the devastating consequences of uncontained morcellation. The risk is real, and it’s preventable. We wouldn’t operate with a ruptured glove – so why would we operate with a ruptured containment bag?”

Innovation Exists – So Why Aren’t We Using It?

The frustrating reality is that safer solutions already exist.

Companies have developed advanced double-wall containment systems cleared by the FDA and designed to significantly reduce the risk of surgical spillage, ensuring that even if an undiagnosed cancer is present, it won’t spread during surgery.

These advanced containment solutions offer a much-needed safety net, providing surgeons with a tool to minimise the risk of surgical spillage and enhance patient safety.

However, many hospitals still rely on outdated techniques that were neither designed nor cleared for this use.

They are not required to adopt improved systems, and there are no universal guidelines mandating best practices. 

Some hospitals continue using cheaper bags that lack FDA approval for such procedures, while others forego containment altogether due to outdated surgical habits. 

And all of this happens without the patient’s awareness, as hospitals are left to govern and monitor themselves.

This raises an urgent question: Why are hospitals not moving faster to protect women?

Regulatory bodies, OB-GYN associations and hospitals must catch up with the pace of innovation. If safer solutions exist, they should be the standard – not the exception.

A Call to Action: Stop Preventable Cancer and Endometriosis Spread in Surgery

Startups and innovators are already making strides in this space, developing better containment systems and safer gynecologic surgical techniques. But they can’t do it alone.

• Hospitals must prioritise adopting proven containment systems to eliminate surgical spillage risks.

• Regulatory bodies must issue clearer guidelines enforcing the use of safer techniques.

• Investors and global healthcare players must help scale innovations in this space.

Now, the question is: Will we step up and make it standard, or will we continue to let outdated practices be a silent killer of women?

It’s time for action. Women deserve better.

Read full article here: https://www.femtechworld.co.uk/insight/when-surgery-spreads-cancer-a-silent-killer-in-womens-health-ark25/