Breast Implants and Cancer Detection

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration interference with mammograms due to breast implants may delay or hinder the early detection of breast cancer; either by hiding suspicious wounds, injuries, or tumors; or by making it more difficult to include them in the image. Breast implants increase the difficulty of both taking and reading mammograms. Women who undergo reconstruction and have some breast tissue remaining must continue to have mammograms of that breast, as well as of the other breast, to detect breast cancer. Mammograms require breast compression (hard pressure) that could contribute to implant rupture. When making appointments women with breast implants should tell the scheduler that they have breast implants. Before mammography women should also tell the radiology technologist about their breast implants. The technologist will then take extra care during compression to reduce the risk of breast implant rupture. The technologist will also use the special displacement views to see as much as possible of the breast tissue.

According to the National Cancer Institute one of the controversial issues is whether women with breast implants have more advanced breast cancer at diagnosis than women without breast implants. In the current study NCI researchers found a somewhat later stage of breast cancer among the breast implant patients compared to the controls and a smaller percentage of in situ (early-stage) cancers among the implant patients. However, the differences were not statistically significant and there was no significant difference in breast cancer mortality between the breast implant and comparison group. Further study is needed.

TBS Editor's Note: Further study is needed means more women will have to wait and see if their desire for ‘the perfect breasts' interferes with their current health and lifespan. Seems like a big risk to me. Perhaps the breasts you have are perfect.

Source: U.S. FDA and National Cancer Institute