Up to 50,000 British women with defective breast implants have been warned about their safety as the French government prepares to order the products be removed from every woman who has had them fitted.
The implants were made by a French company from substandard, industrial-grade silicone and exported around the world. Eight cancer cases, including one death, have been tentatively linked to them in France and hundreds of other women have reported ruptures in the devices.
However, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency says none of the available evidence into possible links with cancer supports removal.
According to consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS President Fazel Fatah;
“It is important to remember that the number of breast implant patients globally is considered to be higher than 10 million, yet these tumours are extremely rare. The risk of death is just 1 in 2 Million from it and cure available for 94{19761799e1353b7a6a49a5f02d3172230495afcde52b198895f8f3ba7ac759cb} of sufferers, so women should continue to feel that their implants are safe. The cause is still unknown and is probably the result of a number of rare different factors, partly genetic, coming together in the afflicted women. In relation to PIPs we continue to reiterate our advice to UK patients in line with the French authorities: if you have, or suspect you have these implants, you should have a scan every six months. If there is any rupture or weakening, have both implants removed.”
Although a possible association in women with breast implants and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) has been observed in a small number of reported cases worldwide, a direct link with the implants has not been established.
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