Have Breast Implants-Should You Be Worried About Cancer? UPDATED
By: Christopher Hess, MD, FACS
BIA-ALCL is a rare lymphoma that is associated with textured breast implants. Plastic surgeon Christopher Hess answers questions about the disease.
If you have breast implants or have been considering breast augmentation, it’s likely you’ve come across articles warning about a specific type of cancer that impacts those with breast implants. It’s called Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma or BIA-ALCL for short. While being aware of medical developments that may impact you is crucial, this news has inspired fear disproportionate to the number of cases.
Unfortunately, wading through all of the information and studies available can be a little overwhelming. This leaves many women unsure-particularly when fact and opinion coexist so frequently online. To help you understand BIA-ALCL, I’ve answered some of the most common questions I receive at my practice.
What is BIA-ALCL?
BIA-ALCL is not breast cancer. Rather, it is a form of lymphoma. It helps to first understand the nature of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).
ALCL is a very rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a cancer of the immune system that develops when lymph nodes have a build-up of…
