Breast implants, rare cancers linked
Dear Dr. Roach: I recently caught a quick news headline on breast cancer stating that there are now findings of cancer in women who have had breast implants. What can you tell us about these new findings and studies?
Any updated information about breast cancer for women with implants would be appreciated by many who have implants themselves and their family members.
V.G.
Answer: In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified a rare cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, as being associated with a particular type of textured breast implants — the vast majority made by one company, Allergan, who was requested to (and subsequently did) recall all textured breast implants.
In September 2022, the FDA noted 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma in people with breast implants, but also noted that there is not “enough information to say whether breast implants cause these cancers or if some implants pose higher risk than others.”
They continued, “The FDA does not recommend the removal of breast implants because of this safety communication.”
The communication also noted different types of lymphomas (not the same as those identified in 2019) associated with both textured and smooth implants.
Squamous cell cancer and these lymphomas are rare cancers whose incidence are not well-described, so it is not clear if implants increase the risk of developing this cancer (or, if they do, by how much).
For the anaplastic large cell lymphoma, an analysis of six published studies showed a risk of about 1 in 10,000 people over a lifetime of a breast implant. Even though this risk is small, it should still be considered by anyone considering a breast implant.
I would not recommend removing a breast implant just because of these reports of extremely rare cancers: Any operation has risks, even plastic surgeries, and in my opinion, it is not clear that the benefits of removing implants are worth that small risk.