Rare Lymphoma from Breast Implants May Kill 4 Out Of Every 10M Women With Implants: Study

Amid growing concern about the risk of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) linked to certain breast implants, researchers from Texas have published a study that attempts to quantify the number of women who may die from the rare blood cancer after breast surgery. 

For every 10 million women who receive artificial breast implants, researchers indicate that four will die from the lymophoma that may develop in the tissue surrounding the device, according to a study published in the September issue of the Aesthetic Surgery Journal

While the breast implant lymphoma death risk appears low, many more women may develop ALCL following surgery and survive, since the cancer generally clears up if the problem is detected early and the breast implant is removed. In addition, increasing evidence suggests that the rare lymphoma risk with breast implants may be linked primarily to certain textured products, and is seen much less often with smooth-surfaced implants.

Earlier this year, the FDA issued a statement about the breast implant lymphoma risks, indicating that the agency was aware of at least 359 medical device reports involving women diagnosed with Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL), which is a sub-type of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Among the reports were at least nine deaths.

Due to the connection with the implants, the cancer is now commonly referred to as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has launched an effort to monitor for cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) from breast implants. As a result, the number of identified cases in that country more than doubled, increasing the level of concern among doctors and patients worldwide.

Independent investigators have noted that the rare lymphoma from breast implants appear more commonly among women who received devices with a large textured surface, which may be causing chronic inflammation and immune system reactions, leading to the development of lymphoma in the fluid around the breast implant. However, more questions that answers remain about the exact cause of the link between breast implants and cancer, causing many doctors to urge caution for women considering breast augmentation.

Researchers from the University of Texas estimate that there are currently about 35 million women worldwide who have breast implants and the total number of confirmed deaths reportedly associated with BIA-ALCL is 12. They used a system known as micromorts to quantify the death risks.

A micromort equals one death per 1 million, so an activity that has a one-in-a-million chance of causing death equals one micromort. According to that formula, women with bilateral breast implants have a 0.4 micromort risk of death from BIA-ALCL.

The findings come as the breast implant cancer concerns have raised questions about the ethics of breast augmentation for purely cosmetic reasons, since the extent of the lymphoma risk is still not understood sufficiently to allow women to make an informed decision over whether to undergo the breast surgery.

As researchers continue to evaluate the specific cause of the problems, many women are raising serious questions about why certain products appear to be more likely to be associated with the development of cancer, and how manufacturers failed to address potential design defects earlier.

Product liability lawyers are reviewing potential breast implant lymphoma lawsuits for women diagnosed with this rare cancer in recent years.