Chicago Plastic Surgeon

In a recent issue of the Annals of Plastic Surgery, a study supports no link between silicone gel-filled implants and breast cancer or other cancers.

This is one more report supporting the safety of silicone gel-filled breast augmentation and will put to rest one of the many fears that had been inappropriately raised by silicone gel opponents. Women who have and are contemplating breast augmentation should feel re-assured that the procedure will not place them at higher risk for breast cancer.

In the past their has been numerous concerns raised that silicone gel implants interfered with breast cancer screening exams. However, this latest study determined that while the sensitivity of mammography may indeed be somewhat compromised by gel implants, overall, women with implants do not present with more advanced cases of breast cancer or suffer from lower survival rates after diagnosis with breast cancer. Critically, the researchers concluded that there is no evidence of the implants actually causing higher rates of cancer.

However, this does not mean that women with breast implants should forego traditional screening and evaluation methods such as self-breast evaluation, mammography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Women with any suspicious breast masses should pursue routine examination protocols.

This is the first comprehensive study of the health effects of cosmetic breast enhancement performed in about 10 years. The lead investigators are Joseph McLaughlin, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and a member of the International Epidemiology Institute (IEI), Rockville, MD, as well as Loren Lipworth, associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt-Ingram and a member of IEI.

Their report also reviewed numerous noncancer diseases and found no causal relationship between silicone breast surgery and conditions such as connective tissue disease, neurological disease, or birth defects in children born to women with implants.

McLaughlin states, "Few implantable medical devices have been investigated for safety hazards more extensively than silicone gel-filled breast implants. For almost 3 decades, researchers around the world have been conducting in-depth studies on the health of women with implants to determine if there are significant health risks. The evidence is clear that implants are not linked to serious disease."

If you have been contemplating silicone breast augmentation, consider a consultation with Dr. Placik or to learn more about other procedures available, contact our office via email or call us at 847-398-1660.

Labels: Breast cancer, mammogram, risks, silicone implants