A new form of cancer could be triggered by a type of breast implant popular with British women, scientists are warning. At least 150 cases of the disease, called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the breast, have been reported, including a handful in Britain. Nine in 10 cases of the disease – a cancer of the immune system – have been in women who have received breast implants with a textured outer shell, according to experts. Scientists say this rougher surface is ‘the ideal breeding ground’ for bacteria which could sow the seed of cancer. Women should be warned of the cancer risk before undergoing implant operations, they argue. Textured shell implants are relatively uncommon in the US, but in Britain – where 30,000 women have implants every year – they account for 99 per cent of the market. Most women with ALCL have made a full recovery after surgery. In some cases they also needed chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, some – including one Briton – have died. Mother-of-two Susan Grieve, 40, from East Lothian in Scotland, passed away in July 2012, six years after receiving PIP implants. At the time her family believed the cancer may have been caused by toxic chemicals spilling into her body after the implants ruptured. But European studies have found no ingredients in the now banned PIP implants – illegally made with industrial grade silicone – to be carcinogenic. Now scientists suggest ALCL is linked to a relatively common complication of having textured breast implants inserted, called capsular contracture. Textured implants were introduced in the 1980s but not widely used until a decade later. Prof Anand Deva, who led the research study at the Australian School of Advanced Medicine at Macquarie University, said Britain should expect to see more cases in the future. ‘Countries that mainly use textured implants, like Australia, have seen proportionally more cases.’ But plastic surgeon Fazel Fatah, of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, said: ‘These tumours are extremely rare, treatable and patients should continue to feel safe. There is no need to remove implants unless they develop sudden unexplained changes or swelling.’ Source
