Imagination Waffle

The Link Between Breast Implants And Cancer

By Ian Alam October 30, 2017 Health

breast implants

Earlier this year, in the month of March, there was a press release which got issued by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The release was regarding a rare cancer called “breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL)”. This rare form of cancer has been associated with the breast implants that are received after reconstructive surgery or cosmetic surgery. It can get developed in any part of the body, however, the most common cases are related to lymph nodes and the skin.

The research that has been conducted states that the occurrence of BIA-ALCL is near the breast implant which is within the surrounding scar tissue and not the breast itself. According to a recent review, that got conducted for the BIA-ALCL cases in the USA, it was found that BIA-ALCL was found two in one million women that underwent the textured breast implant.

BIA-ALCL is a lymphoma, which is a form of cancer that has its impact on the lymph nodes. This can take the form of a serious disease, however, before we get into further discussion, here are a few of the facts that I would like to share with you.

  • BIA-ALCL is a rare form which means that one in 30,000 women who have undergone textured-surface breast implants have the risk of developing it.
  • Breast implants are completely safe. They are considered among the most studied devices that you will find in the market. According to current research, BIA-ALCL is linked only with textured surface breast implants.
  • The risks which are associated with getting a breast implant vary from women to women. Therefore, before you begin with the procedure you should be aware of the available options along with the benefits and risks that are associated with it.

Even though BIA-ALCL is a rare form of cancer still as a woman it becomes vital for you to be aware of its symptoms which we are going to discuss in the below-mentioned points.

Symptoms of BIA-ALCL

  • One of the first and the most common symptom of BIA-ALCL is the buildup of excess fluid around the area of the breast implant. This will result in pain, lumps or swelling around the armpit or in the breast.
  • The occurrence of symptoms will be between 3 to 14 years after the implant placement has taken place. For a woman who has undergone the implant, it becomes important that she recognizes the symptoms in time and visit the concerned plastic surgeon. This means that if a woman who develops BIA-ALCL can always get it cured.
  • BIA-ALCL is related to the textured surface breast implants which means that those who have undergone a smooth surface implants must consider themselves safeguarded. When both the smooth and the textured surface breast implants which are placed are compared, there is a very low percentage that falls under the textured surface breast implants category.

What is the diagnosis and treatment of BIA-ALCL?

According to researchers, when the tissue around the capsule and the implant become inflamed,it will result in the build of fluid which will damage the cells. This will lead to the development of cancer in the fluid. Once the disease starts progressing it will enter a capsule that is a natural covering which has been build by the body around any foreign object. If this progresses then it will have a negative impact on the other tissues which include the lymph nodes. This makes it even more vital to recognize the symptoms so that they can be timely diagnosed.

In The End

I hope that the information which has been showcased in this post will act as a comprehensive knowledge source for you. There is a lot of dilemmas which are faced by women who are planning to undergo a breast implant. From this post, it is clear that having a breast implant is not cancerous. However, the cases which have been reported are related to breast implants which have textured surfaces.

I would suggest you to personally visit your plastic surgeon if you are planning to undertake breast implant surgery anytime soon. He is the right person who will guide you about all the consequences that you might have to face.

Author Bio:

Sheetal Goswami is Working as Blogger for Tricity Institute Of Plastic Surgery, a well-known plastic surgery institute in Chandigarh which specializes in Breast Enlargement Surgery. She has been blogging for several years about the fusion of Medical Science. She is a voracious follower of medical achievements and loves to share all about it.

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Ian Alam

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