Women everywhere are turning to breast implants to improve body image, however a new study suggests there may be an unthinkable risk – a rare type of lymph cancer known as Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). How are victims of this phenomena treating their cancer?

ALCL treatment options ALCL cancer victims have been successfully treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The lymphomas were also discovered to disappear on their own following removal of the implants and the surrounding tissue. Subtypes and outcomes include:

• Subtype 1 In this subtype, women with protein positive ALCL, where tumor cells produce an abnormal protein, were said to have better outcomes.

• Subtype 2 In this subtype, protein anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is not produced by cancer cells.

• Subtype 3 Discovered during the study and requiring further research, the tumors cells in this subtype also do not produce ALK.

How many women have been effected? ALCL has been documented in 71 women who have undergone breast augmentation. The cancer develops several years after surgery, in the scar tissue surrounding the implant.

Why are the implants causing lymphoma? Unfortunately, researchers have been unable to pinpoint the particular reason(s) for the breast implants resulting in cancer. It is theorized, however, that perhaps an abnormal immune response from the body is resulting in the emergence of this cancer.

Digging a little deeper The team that conducted the study, a research team of experts from the Medical University in Vienna, the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cancer Research, are expected to perform further studies to determine the impact of implants and dentures in other parts of the body.

Concerned about the impact implants may be having on your body? If you have developed this type of breast cancer please consider checking with Issels Integrative Oncology today.