The Food and Drug Administration recently posted an update strengthening the association between breast implants and the development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma, which is a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
When the FDA first identified the possibility of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) in 2011, the organization was aware of such few cases of the disease that it was not able to determine what factors increased the risk.
Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma has now been designated as a rare T-cell lymphoma that can develop after breast implants.
Due to lack of implant sales data and limitations in global reporting, it is difficult to determine the exact number of BIA-ALCL cases.
The FDA reported that, "At this time, most data suggest that BIA-ALCL occurs more frequently following implantation of breast implants with textured surfaces rather than those with smooth surfaces."
A total of 359 medical device reports of BIA-ALCL, including nine deaths, have been received by the FDA as of February 1st, 2017. Of the reports that included information on implant surface, 203 were reported to be textured implants and 28 reported to be smooth implants.
The FDA recommends patients to educate themselves about breast implants before agreeing to surgery. Although breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma is rare, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about the benefits and risks of textured-surface vs. smooth-surfaced implants.
Learn more here.