The FDA recently issued a safety communication warning about a link between breast implants and certain cancers that can develop in the scar tissue around implants.
This new agency warning does not include Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma which has previously been linked to certain Allergan textured breast implants. Those textured implants were recalled after being linked to 600 illnesses and 33 deaths.
After Allergan’s textured breast implants were linked to breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), the FDA asked Allergan to voluntarily recall the implants in July 2019. BIA-ALCL is a rare form of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that appears almost exclusively in women who have textured breast implants, Allergan’s Biocell implants in particular.
BIA-ALCL is typically found in the scar tissue and fluid surrounding the implants, and if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the body. The symptoms of the cancer include pain or swelling near the implant, a lump in the breast, or a hardening of the breast. So far, 481 women with Allergan textured breast implants have been diagnosed with BIA-ALCL, and 33 have died.
Since the recall, women have been consulting with their doctors about the best course forward for them, including discussing whether removing the implants and replacing them with a safer type of breast implant is the best option. Many women, with the advice of their doctor, have decided to go this route.
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