Surgical Gel May Mimic Signs of Early Breast Cancer: Study

A gel sometimes used to stop bleeding during surgery can be mistaken for signs of early breast cancer on mammograms, say U.S. researchers.

Their study looked at seven women whose follow-up mammograms revealed suspicious white specks within one to six months after they'd had surgery for breast cancer, United Press International reported.

The specks looked liked microcalcifications that sometimes indicate early breast cancer, said Dr. Kathleen Ward, a radiologist at Loyola University Health System, and colleagues. But the specks were actually caused by FloSeal, a gel sometimes used to stop bleeding when sutures or staples aren't sufficient or are impractical.

The findings suggest that FloSeal should not be used during breast surgery, said study co-author Dr. Richard Cooper, UPI reported.

The study was published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

More on This

Angelina Jolie Speaks Out About Having a Mastectomy

“Chemo Brain” Studies Underway

New Under-skin Implants May Detect Breast Cancer Spread

Circadian Rhythm Gene May Affect Breast Cancer Spread

Tags:

• Breast Cancer