Posted on July 25, 2019
I love that my patients read the NY Times. Yesterday there was an article “Breast Implants linked to Rare Cancer are Recalled Worldwide.” Wow. That is a terrifying headline, and caused many panicked phone calls to my office. LINK HERE to NY Times article.
First, BREATHE. The most common implants used in the US are smooth round implants. The ALCL cancer is ONLY seen in textured implants.
- What kind of implant do you have? I use Allergan/McGhan implants. The styles which show you have a round smooth implant are
- SALINE: 68LP, 68MP, 68HP
- GEL: Styles 10,15,20, SRL, SRLP, SRM, SRX
- TEXTURED implants, which do have a small risk are
- styles 410,
- the tissue expanders (which were the recent recall style 133, used mostly in breast cancer reconstruction), and the
- Gel Styles are TRL, TRLP, TRM, TRX
Second, ALCL is ridiculously rare, even in women WITH textured implants.
- Risk in general population 1:500,000. The FDA is stating the risk in breast implant women is 1: 83,000-1:270,000. The most aggressive number I have seen is 1:3,200.
- Please read my blogs on ALCL if you have textured implants. ALCL BLOGS
Third, this is not new news. We have been talking about ALCL for years.
- My first blog on ALCL was in 2011.
FOR MORE BLOGS ON THE SUBJECT:
Implants in the News. ALCL? ASIA? BII? Recalls? Cancers? LINK
France Just banned textured implants. LINK
Original blog on ALCL from 2011 LINK