The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the UK has issued a medical device alert in relation to all types, makes and models of breast implants. There is uncertain evidence that women with breast implants may have a very small but increased risk of Anaplastic Large Cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the breast.
Directors of surgical units involved in breast reconstruction and augmentation and plastic surgeons have been requested to encourage women to self examine for changes in their breasts and seek medical advice if concerned.
Anaplastice Large Cell Lymphome (ALCL) is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), a cancer involving the cells of the immune system. It is a very rare tumour in the breast, accounting for less than 1% of all breast malignancies. The FDA in America identifies 34 unique cases of ALCL in women with breast implants throughout the world. The FDA’s adverse event reporting systems also contains 17 reports of ALCL in women with breast implants. This is a very small fraction of the 5-10 million women who have received breast implants worldwide
