Those life-saving breast implants just might kill you. According to a new study released by the Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday, women with breast implants should be on the look out for a rare blood cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma, or ALCL. The FDA said it has identified as many as 60 cases of ALCL among the 5 to 10 million women in the US who have breast implants. That’s a small, but statistically significant, link between breast implants and blood cancer.
“One of our most important messages today is that women with breast implants who are not showing any symptoms or problems” require only routine checks with doctors, said William Maisel, the FDA’s chief scientist in the device division. He added that ALCL “has a very unique fingerprint that suggests the possible association.”
“A woman is more likely to be struck by lightning than get this condition,” said Caroline Van Hove, a spokeswoman for breast implant manufacturer Allergan. A spokesman for Mentor, a Johnson & Johnson division which also makes breast implants, added that his company supported the FDA’s efforts to gather more information about the possible link.
Tags: breast implants linked to blood cancer, breast implants blood cancer link, blood cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALCL, breast implants linked to anaplastic large cell lymphoma, medical news, unusual medical news, health scares, plastic surgery, Caroline Van Hove, FDA, Allergan, Food and Drug Administration, Mentor