Implants linked to rare breast cancer

Breast implants may cause a rare type of breast cancer known as ALCL, researchers fear.

ALCL (anaplastic large cell lymphoma) are usually found in the lymph nodes, but almost never in the breast. But in the past few years, 71 cases of ALCL breast cancer have been reported, and implants have been suspected as the cause.

Some of the cases were treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but others regressed on their own when the implants were removed.

An abnormal immune response to the implant could be one cause of the cancer, says an international research group led by pathologist Lukas Kenner from Vienna.

(Source: Mutation Research, 2014; doi: 10.1016/j.mrrev.2014;08.002)

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