The danger of falling ill with a specific type of lymphoma has been linked to devices (with a rough surface) that have not been on the market for some time. Regular checks are important
I am 65 years old and I was operated on for breast cancer five years ago. I scrupulously follow the planned therapies and checks and so far everything has gone well. Yet I am anxious to be a prosthesis wearer: at the time of the surgery, in fact, in January 2016 I was offered a reconstruction after a partial mastectomy and I accepted. I have never had any problems, but after learning of the possibility of having another tumor, due to the implants, I think about the explant. Is there any news that can help me decide one way or the other?
Answers Carlo Magliocca, president of the Italian Society of Reconstructive-Regenerative and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Sicpre)
Just recently, during the congress of the Italian Society of Reconstructive-Regenerative and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Sicpre), the latest data collected by the Ministry of Health regarding the cases of that very rare blood cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma, were disclosed. associated with breast implants. To date, the ministerial database records 73 cases (from 2010 to June 2021), including two deaths. In 2020, the incidence was 4.6 cases per 100 thousand patients implanted, i.e. lymphoma which arose in 0.0046% of cases. And the numbers are in line with what is happening abroad: compared to over 35 million patients implanted in the world, about 800 cases of the rare haematological neoplasm have been found.
Rough surface prosthesis
In short, the number of cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma remains extremely low even if in Italy, a significant increase in diagnosed cases had been recorded after the issue of Circulars no. 0011758 of 11/03/2015 and 10042 of 10/02/2017 which had as their objective precisely that of sensitizing all health professionals in the sector to make a correct diagnosis of lymphoma in the presence of suspected symptoms. The same circulars, still valid today, contain all the indications to allow health professionals to report to the Ministry of Health of new diagnosed cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with breast implants. For 2021, however, the cases appear to be decreasing, but we always remain on very limited numbers. Furthermore, in this decade we have understood that the risk of getting lymphoma is only linked to macro-textured (ie rough surface) prostheses, which have not been on the market for several years.
Regular checks are important
Ten years have now passed since the first alarm given in France regarding Pip implants (it was December 2011), based on all the information we have collected to date, it is also comforting to know that anaplastic lymphoma associated with breast implants is a disease with a favorable prognosis if diagnosed early: if discovered in time, in fact, it is sufficient to explant the prostheses, with the surrounding tissue, without undergoing further treatment. To find any anomalies in time, it is important to carry out checks regularly: prostheses have no expiration date, but like all foreign bodies they are subject to body aggression, they can wear out and break. Usually, one ultrasound per year is enough to check its status. In the event of a broken or damaged prosthesis, it is replaced with a much simpler operation than implantation, as there is already a pocket that accommodates the device.
Symptoms not to be overlooked
Finally, we also learned that the onset of lymphoma has a clear alarm bell, the appearance (on average 7 years after implantation) of late cold seroma, a conspicuous swelling of the breast. As you can see, both the numbers and our knowledge are comforting: women with a prosthesis, like her, do not have to live in anxiety or rush to have them removed. just for them to be informed, so as not to overlook any suspicious symptoms. A sudden and unjustified pain in the breast, an increase or change in size, any anomaly of the breasts should not be neglected: it is better to talk to a doctor, who will prescribe any necessary tests, in order to be able to intervene promptly if and when the case.
January 21, 2022 (change January 21, 2022 | 20:05)
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