4 May 2014
- 150 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma of the breast reported
- Nine in 10 cases of the disease have been in women who have received breast implants with a textured outer shell
- Textured shell implants uncommon in the US, but in Britain – where 30,000 women have implants every year – they account for 99 per cent of market
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.
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