Research performed by scientists at the University of Michigan suggests that one in every 368 women undergoing a hysterectomy or myometomy to remove uterine fibroids has undetected uterine cancer.

This new report adds to the growing concern associated with power morcellator use for these minimally invasive procedures, which use the medical device to shred and grind uterine tissues before removal.

The recent morcellation study backs up a similar finding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which estimates that one in 350 women who use the power morcellator during a gynecological laparoscopic surgery will eventually be diagnosed with uterine sarcoma.

Uterine Cancer Overview

According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 55,000 women will be diagnosed with a form of uterine cancer this year, while 10,000 will die this year from the cancer. The society reports that “The average chance of a woman being diagnosed with this cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 37.”

In 2014, the FDA released a safety warning regarding the use of power morcellators linked to an increased risk of uterine cancer when the devices are used on undiagnosed uterine cancer tissues. The FDA states that “At this time, there is no reliable method for predicting or testing whether a woman with fibroids may have a uterine sarcoma.”

Power Morcellator Complications

Power morcellators were once considered a medical breakthrough for patients undergoing hysterectomies, as they allowed patients to have a much shorter recovery time when compared to the traditional abdominal surgery.

Power morcellators are inserted into a woman’s abdomen through a small incision, where they spin tiny blades designed to shred uterine and fibroid tissue. However, the FDA reports that shredding undetected cancer cells can cause uterine cancer to spread throughout the abdominal cavity.

The threat of spreading cancer tissues through morcellation spurred the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to issue a “black box” warning on all new and pre-existing power morcellators. An FDA black box warning is the strongest precaution the federal agency will issue before removing the product from the market.

After the agency determined power morcellators needed a black box warning, some of the largest health insurance companies in the U.S. decided to change the way the medical tool is classified, therefore making it extremely difficult for patients to obtain insurance coverage.

Companies like Cigna, Aetna Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and many others are choosing not to cover the power morcellator due to the cancer risks associated with the device.

Morcellation Cancer Lawsuits

There are currently two dozen morcellation lawsuits pending in federal court and the numbers only continue to grow. A typical morcellation lawsuit states that power morcellator manufacturers failed to warn of the life-threatening cancer risks linked to using the medical device. Some plaintiffs allege that power morcellator makers were aware of the cancer risks linked to the device but downplayed any health concerns.