Tumor Seeding With Needle Biopsy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review.

Nie, Chunpeng; Vaska, Marcus; Wong, Jason K; Bathe, Oliver F; Przybojewski, Stefan; Burak, Kelly W; Tang, Patricia A; Congly, Stephen E · Am J Gastroenterol · 2025

systematic_review · Level I

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Abstract

Biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may help with selecting appropriate chemotherapy with inconclusive imaging; concern about potential seeding may limit its use. A systematic review was conducted to assess the risk of tumor seeding with biopsy of HCC excluding nonliver cancers or seeding after interventions. A total of 2,339 unique abstracts were identified; 37 studies were included in the final analysis. The rate of tumor seeding was 0.62% (range 0%-7.77%) in 13,959 biopsies performed. The average reported median lengths of follow-up was 35.8 months (range 10.5-60 months). Overall, the risk of tumor seeding with biopsy of HCC is low.

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