NEW YORK: Johnson & Johnson suspended sale of devices used in fibroid surgery amid concerns about their potential to spread a rare but deadly cancer, the Wall Street Journal reported.
J&J was halting world-wide sale, distribution and promotion of the tools called power morcellators but not permanently pulling them from the market, the Journal said.
The action follows a Food and Drug Administration advisory on April 17 that discouraged doctors from using laparoscopic power morcellators to remove fibroids — common but often painful uterine growths — because of a risk of worsening an often-hidden cancer.
In a letter to customers, J&J wrote that it is waiting for the regulator and the medical community to further clarify the role of morcellation in fibroid treatment, the newspaper said.
Morcellators typically use long, tube-shaped blades to cut and remove tissue through tiny incisions, helping patients avoid open abdominal surgery associated with longer scars and recovery.
J&J spokeswoman Sheri Woodruff did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside regular U.S. business hours. - Reuters
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