The FDA issued a safety communication that cancer cases, including squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and other lymphomas, have been linked to scar tissue around breast implants.
The pathology of these cases differs than that of anaplastic large lymphomas linked to breast implants a decade ago.
A preliminary review of published literature found fewer than 20 cases of SCC and fewer than 30 cases of various lymphomas in the scar tissue around the implant.
Women who have had implants should be aware of symptoms of cancer, which include swelling, pain, lumps or skin changes, the FDA said, noting that some cases emerged years after women received their implants. The SCC cases were linked to both textured and smooth implants, and saline and silicone implants.
