Breast Implants May Be Linked To Rare Cancer

Breast implants are the most common type of breast reconstruction, and implants are widely used for breast augmentation. So when the Food and Drug Administration said that it was looking into the possibility that breast implants might be causing anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), many women were startled and alarmed. It's not the first time that breast implants have caused concern about their possible effects on health. Nobody like the idea that both saline and silicone breast implants might cause a rare form of cancer, particularly women who have already been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Lymphoma is not a form of breast cancer - it is a fluid tumor, which in this case may form in the pocket of scar tissue that encases a breast implant. Only 34 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma have been diagnosed in women with breast implants - out of the 5 million to 10 million women in the world that have implants. So not only is this a rare type of cancer, but a rare incidence. In fact, the FDA is uncertain if the numbers would support a conclusive link between any type of breast implant and ALCL. No definitive studies have been done on the possible risk of lymphoma to those who have chosen to have breast implants.
Dr. Binita Ashar, an FDA scientist says that the documented cases of lymphoma that formed around breast implants occurred many years after the implants had been in place. The affected women reported swelling, pain, and a change in the way their implants felt, before they were diagnosed with ALCL. These kinds of symptoms could be due to other causes, but if you have implants and are concerned, do see your doctor and have an examination. The FDA does not recommend that all breast implants be removed, as the risk of developing this lymphoma is quite rare, and may in fact not be linked with implants in the body. The FDA is setting up a registry to collect data about breast implants and lymphoma, and they will continue to study the problem and report on their findings.

All information is from: www.breastcancer.about.com

Kayla Wharton - Mrs. North Texas International