A false and potentially harmful claim about cancerous tumours has been shared on social media again.
A graphic shared on Facebook says “cancer is trying to heal not kill” and includes claims that tumours are “basically a bag the human body creates to collect toxins that are contaminating the bloodstream” and that a biopsy “releases toxic matter back into the body”.
As we’ve explained several times before, none of this is true. Tumours are not protective bags of toxins, and they don’t serve any healing purpose.
There’s an extremely small chance needle biopsies can cause cancerous cells to spread along the needle’s track, but, overall, biopsies can lead to better outcomes and increased survival rates.
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Misleading claims about cancer can cause harm if people make treatment decisions based on them. Trustworthy information on cancer can be found from sources such as the NHS, Cancer Research UK and the World Health Organisation.
