Study links the risk of ALCL to silicone breast implants

Dutch researchers have found an association between anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma and silicone breast implants.

Daphne de Jong, MD, PhD, from the pathology department at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, and colleagues performed an individually matched case-control study that included 11 patients with ALCL, five of whom had received bilateral silicone breast implants one to 23 years before their ALCL diagnosis.

Dr. de Jong’s research group noted the presence of 12 diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, including one T-cell-rich B-cell lymphoma; five Burkitt lymphomas; 10 mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue-type lymphomas; three follicular lymphomas; three peripheral T-cell lymphomas; and two indolent B-cell lymphomas, unclassified.

Dr. de Jong and her colleagues determined that the odds ratio for ALCL associated with silicone breast implants was 18.2 (JAMA 300:2030-2035, 2008).

The researchers said, however, that the absolute risk for developing ALCL due to breast implants is low due to the rare occurrence of ALCL. They also said that more studies are needed to confirm their initial findings.

According to the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, there was a 295% increase in the number of women who had breast augmentation between the years 1997 and 2007.