Cancer warning over breast implants given to 50,000 women

BREAST implants given to 50,000 women a year have been linked to a rare form of cancer.

Health authorities in France have announced they are to review the use of ‘textured’ breast implants, the type used in 99 per cent of breast operations in the UK.

But the silicone implants – used in reconstructions for women who have had mastectomies after breast cancer as well as for cosmetic enlargements – are still being given here with no warning about any potential dangers.

It comes as an investigation found 57 reports of cancer linked to implants in Britain reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority since the start of 2015.

There have been 1,200 other serious incidents linked to the implants, a quarter of which involved a leak and a third ‘material separation’ in which the implant became damaged or ruptured.

Experts stress the incidences of the cancer – a type called anaplastic large cell lymphoma which affects the immune system – are extremely low.

Estimates of the chances of being affected after receiving a breast implant vary between one in 24,000 and one in 3,500. But concerns are serious enough for France to advise doctors to stop using textured implants until the review is completed in February.

The latest scare comes seven years after leaking ‘PIP’ implants caused a major health crisis when they began to rupture because they had been made with unapproved silicone gel.

Authorities have been highly cautious about breast implants since, and French scientists have been tracking rates of cancer over the past few years.

The French National Agency for Medicines and Health Prodimplant ucts has found 53 cases linked to implants, leading to its recommendation to doctors. But in the UK there has been no equivalent warning.

An investigation led by the BBC’s Panorama programme and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists showed there had been 1,459 reports of incidents related to breast implants in the past three years in Britain, more than 1,200 of which were serious. Paul Harris, president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: ‘At the moment it appears to be treatable but it is, of course, a very significant issue – we are watching it closely.’

Dr Suzanne Turner, of the department of pathology at Cambridge University, said: ‘It is a concern, absolutely, particularly now we’re seeing breast associated lymphoma developing in these ladies. The risk is small, but it’s a risk that we should be informed of.’

The investigation found that some manufacturers did not carry out adequate tests before selling textured implants. It also discovered makers in Europe and the US have under-reported problems with the implants.

Graeme Tunbridge, of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: ‘We know that there are ongoing concerns about the safety of breast implants, we’re keeping a very close eye on that.’