New possible dangers of breast implants identified in U.S.

September 11, 2022  13:24

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that breast implants can cause a type of skin cancer as well as other immune system cancers.

The safety warning says that although "rare," several cases of squamous cell carcinomas -- a type of skin cancer -- and several lymphomas have been confirmed in the scar tissue around the implants.

Whether implants actually cause these cancers is being investigated, and doctors and patients are advised to pay attention to symptoms, including swelling, bumps and changes in the skin. 

This comes amid a continuing rise in the popularity of implants, with more than three-quarters of plastic surgeons in America facing increased demand, according to research. 

In its warning, the FDA stated that these cancers are not similar to the anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implants, a cancer known to be caused by implants.

To date, fewer than 20 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) have been found in the skin around implants, the report says. There have also been fewer than 30 cases of various lymphomas in the skin around implants.

The FDA added that it received 10 medical reports of cases involving breast cancer and 12 cases involving lymphoma.

In some cases, patients wore implants for years before developing disease. Warning signs included swelling, pain, bumps and skin changes.

More than a decade ago, the FDA first warned of a possible link between textured implants and a rare type of cancer. This eventually led to the pharmaceutical company Allergan announcing a worldwide recall of textured breast implants linked to this cancer.

But the FDA did not ban the implants, noting that some women with cancer had been given smooth implants.

However, cases of cancer are rare: It is estimated that it develops in about one in 3,000 to one in 30,000 women who have had implants.

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