A rare cancer first linked to breast implants in 2011 has now been associated with nine deaths in the United States, the nation's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday. As of 01st February, 2017, the agency had received 359 reports of the cancer associated with the implants. The deaths were not caused by breast cancer, the agency said, but by a rare malignancy in the immune system, Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). In cases linked to implants, this rare form of cancer grows in the breast, usually in the capsule of scar tissue that forms around an implant. It is usually treatable and not often fatal.
The problem is more likely to occur with textured implants, which have a pebbly surface, than with smooth implants, the agency said. Of the 359 reported cases, 231 included information about the implant surface: 203 were textured, 28 smooth. The contents of the implants appeared much less important: Of 312 cases where the contents were known, 186 were filled with silicone gel, and 126 with saline. Cases generally come to light when symptoms develop, like lumps, pain, fluid buildup and swelling. The FDA said it was impossible to say how many cases existed, because of limited reporting of problems and a lack of worldwide sales data on implants. But in December, 2016, Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration reported 46 confirmed cases of breast implant-associated ALCL, including three deaths. France's national cancer institute warned two years ago that there was a 'clearly established link' between ALCL and silicone implants, nothing 18 cases since 2011. In many cases when the Lymphoma occurs, just removing the implant and the tissue around it eliminates the disease. But some women may need chemotherapy and radiation.
The FDA said that if a woman with implants had no breast problems, there was no reason to remove them, emphasising that the Lymphoma seemed to be very rare. But women receiving implants should be aware of the potential problem, the FDA added.
Pill 'cuts' cancer risk for thirty years: Women who have taken contraceptive pills get protection from some types of cancer for as long as 30 years, a new study claims. The results of the 'world's longest study' into the effects of the pill showed that women who had ever used it were less likely to have colorectal, endometrial or ovarian cancer than those who never had. The results of the study, conducted by the University of Aberdeen in the United Kingdom, showed that using the pill during reproductive years did not produce new cancer risks later in life, when more cancers occur. The findings relate to 46,000 women, followed for up to 44 years. "Because the study has been going (on) for such a long time we are able to look at the very long-term effects, if there are any, associated with the pill", said Dr. Lisa Iversen of the University of Aberdeen. "The protective benefits from using the pill during their reproductive years are lasting for at least 30 years after women have stopped using the pill".
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