Fish with rare cancerous tumor found in Pa. river

A smallmouth bass caught in Pennsylvania's Susquehanna River was found to have a malignant tumor, according to a statement released earlier this week by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Tumors are rarely found on fish in the U.S., and the tumor is the only documented one of its kind to be found on a smallmouth bass in the state, according to the PFBC. An angler caught the fish late last year and gave it to the PFBC, the statement said.

The find does raise concerns about the health of the waterway, according to the statement. Biologists have monitored adult smallmouth bass populations in the river since 2005. While they have not found tumors on other fish, they have found lesions and sores on smallmouth bass, according to the PFBC.

"There is no evidence that carcinomas in fish present any health hazard to humans. However, people should avoid consuming fish that have visible signs of sores and lesions," Karen Murphy, the acting secretary of the Pennsylvania health department, said in a statement.

The PFBC made the announcement Monday at a quarterly meeting and released an image of the fish on the commission's Facebook page.

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