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starliz t1_j53ipoh wrote

Reply to comment by ThoughtfulPoster in What color are cancer cells? by jennlara

My cancerous tumor was a re-occurrence of melanoma. I was given a picture of it. It was pink, like the surrounding tissue.

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asap_einstein t1_j55m5nt wrote

Just fyi, this was most likely because of certain dyes that are used in patholgy labs. Cells by themselves are colourless unless they contain specific pigments - like black-ish melanocytes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%26E_stain

Hope that cancer is gone now.

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[deleted] t1_j55te2v wrote

[removed]

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asap_einstein t1_j55wf4w wrote

Seems like you are in the hands of capable clinicians - I simply wish you all the best.

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Spud_M314 t1_j56j7mm wrote

Natural selection selects for critters to hide from predators, analogous to cancer cells hiding from the innate immune system...

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Richie196 t1_j55rl6j wrote

Stains for antibodies associated with various cancers also stain black after Immunohistochemistry stains and can give this impression.

Especially considering that most finished stains in Pathology are very colorful.

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