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Ministry warns
of rare cancer
linked with
breast implants

DUBAI — Breast implants could be associated with a very rare type of cancer, the Ministry of Health said in a circular issued on Tuesday, warning women with implants and their healthcare providers to watch out for possible signs.

Health authorities issued the warning locally after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also warned of a possible association between breast implants and a type of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) last month.

The circular was issued to all companies asking them to add warnings on the silicone implants.

Healthcare providers have also been asked to inform users (patients) of the potential medical risks that could arise from the use of the product while patients have been asked to report to their healthcare providers and take necessary precautions.

Cosmetic surgery is very popular in the Arab world. According to a Dubai-based plastic surgeon, breast implants procedures are much in demand in the UAE.

“After procedures such as liposuction and rhinoplasty, breast implant procedures rank number three,” said Dr Luiz Toledo while talking about his experience.

An FDA warning on its website read, “Although ALCL is extremely rare, the FDA believes that women with breast implants may have a very small but increased risk of developing this disease in the scar capsule adjacent to the implant.” It also said that ALCL is a rare cancer of the immune system, which can occur anywhere in the body though ALCL in the breast is even rarer with approximately 3 in 100 million women per year in the US diagnosed with it.

Reviewing scientific literature published from January 1997 through May 2010, the FDA identified 34 unique cases of ALCL in women with breast implants throughout the world. In total, the FDA is aware of approximately 60 case reports of ALCL in women with breast implants worldwide.

“The number of identified cases is small compared to the estimated 5 to 10 million women who have received breast implants worldwide. But based on these data, the FDA believes that women with breast implants may have a very small but increased risk of ALCL,” reads the warning.

Implant-related symptoms linked to ALCL include pain, lumps, swelling, or asymmetry that develops after the initial surgical sites are fully healed.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com