FDA Warns About Possible Risk of Cancer with Breast Implants

 

After reviewing data from 1997 to 2010, the FDA has recently announced a potential link between breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma or ALCL. During that time period, there were 60 cases of ALCL in the breast of women who had implants. ALCL is extremely rare.

 

Only 3 out of every 100 million women without breast implants develops ALCL in the breast (1 case annually in approximately every 33 million women). Since 60 cases of ALCL were diagnosed in the 5 to 10 million women with breast implants worldwide, the incidence of ALCL wasobviously much higher in women with breast implants. The FDA warns that the risk of developing ALCL may be small but appear greater in women with breast implants.

 

ALCL is not a form of breast cancer. It is actually a lymphoma or type of blood cancer. Lymphoma occurs when one type of white blood cells (known as lymphocytes) grows abnormally and reproduce out of control. This is problematic because these cells make up the immune system.

 

Eventually it gets to a point where there are more abnormal cancerous white blood cells than healthy normal cells. In cases of ALCL in women with breast implants, the lymphoma grows in the area surrounding the implant.

 

The good news is that in some cases the cancer can be removed by getting rid of the implant. Some women do require chemotherapy to kill the cancer. And while there isn’t data to completely support this theory yet, some doctors believe that the ALCL that develops in women with breast implants is less aggressive than the normally occurring type of ALCL.

 

The FDA is unsure of whether breast implants actually cause ALCL and does not intend to create a panic with the warning (so no need to rush out and get implants removed). At this point there just isn’t enough data to confirm that ALCL in the breast is caused by the implants.

 

The FDA issued the warning to put doctors and women with implants on alert and looking for signs or symptoms of ALCL. Signs and symptoms of ALCL include lumps, swelling, fluid around the implant, pain near the implant, and/or breast asymmetry.

 

If doctors diagnose ALCL in women with implants, they are asked to report that information to a program called Medwatch. As more cases are reported, the risk of developing ALCL with breast implants may change. The important thing is to remember to discuss the risk and benefits of any medical procedure before deciding if it’s right for you.

 

Visit www.paidclinicaltrials.org, if you’re interested in finding out more about clinical trials actively looking for volunteers to study the safety of different types of materials and surgical procedures for breast augmentation.

 

Venita Gresham Watson, Ph.D.

Tags: breast cancer and breast implants, breast implants cause cancer, cancer from breast implants, cancer with breast implants

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011 at 2:54 pm and is filed under Cancers and Neoplasms, Conditions, In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.