Plastic surgeons are noticing more and more women contracting anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCA), a rare type of cancer distinct from breast cancer, in those that have received breast enhancement surgeries. In 2011, the FDA noticed this trend but stated that one’s chance of contracting the disease was extremely low. This statement has since changed as the medical community has seen the rate go steadily upward, and surgeons suspect that textured breast implants are to blame. Unfortunately, insurance does not cover cosmetic surgery or related complications, so many women have held off on seeing their providers when symptoms of lymphoma arise. The most common symptom is swelling of the surgical spot. More disappointingly, if the cancer is caught early enough, it can be cured by removing the implant. 513 women have been diagnosed worldwide with the disease. 16 have died thus far worldwide from ALCA.
Surgeons and other medical professionals argue about the benefits and drawbacks of textured breast implants. Generally, there are two schools of thought. One group believes that there is an inherent benefit to using textured breast implants over their smooth counterparts. This school of thought originated in the 1990s when the texturing technique was introduced, which is done through a chemical scoring procedure. It is thought that tissue will grow into the crevices, which will prevent the implant from rotating or moving.
Those in the other school of thought state that grooves are prone to cause chronic inflammation, which in turn can cause ALCA after long periods of time (roughly 9 years). Some go so far as to state that there are no benefits to using textured breast implants; they are only more dangerous. As such, a small but growing group of surgeons, such as David A. Hidalgo, a professor at Weill Cornell Medical College believe that the products should be pulled entirely from the market. He states that “…if you remove the products, the risk goes to zero…Personally, I think they shouldn’t be on the market.”
There are currently cases pending in state and federal courts in Pennsylvania and across the country on behalf of women who have contracted lymphoma as a result of their breast implants. None of these cases have been decided.
Read the Philadelphia Inquirer’s comprehensive article [HERE].
