Breast
Implants Do Not Delay Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
According to a recent article published in the British Journal
of Cancer, breast implants do not appear to delay the diagnosis
of breast cancer.
Breast cancer affects over 200,000 women annually in the
United States alone. When breast cancer is diagnosed and treated
in its early stages, it is considered highly curable with
standard therapies. However, breast cancer that has spread
from its site of origin to distant and/or several sites in
the body has overall poor long-term survival rates. Therefore,
physicians and researchers place great emphasis on screening
and prevention of breast cancer, in order to detect and treat
cancer in its most curable stages or prevent the development
of breast cancer altogether.
Concern has arisen among women and physicians regarding the
possibility that breast implants may interfere in the detection
of breast cancer. This could result in diagnosis at a later
stage and ultimately a risk of decreased survival in these
women. Researchers from Denmark recently conducted a clinical
study to evaluate the effects of breast implants and the diagnosis
of breast cancer. This study involved nearly 3,000 women who
had breast implants between 1973 and 1997. Of these women,
23 developed breast cancer. Researchers compared these women
to women without breast implants who had been diagnosed with
breast cancer and registered in the Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative
Group's register ("control group"). There was no
difference in the stage at which breast cancer was diagnosed
between women with breast implants and the control group.
At a follow-up of over 6 years, there was also no difference
in survival between the two groups of women.
The researchers concluded that, although this study involved
a small number of women, breast implants do not appear to
delay the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Furthermore,
long-term survival in women with breast cancer does not appear
to be affected by breast augmentation. Women with breast implants
may wish to discuss the results of this study as well as a
screening regimen for early detection of breast cancer with
their physician.
Reference: Holmich L, Mellemkjaer L, Gunnarsdottir A, et
al. Stage of breast cancer at diagnosis among women with cosmetic
breast implants. British Journal of Cancer. 2003;88:832-838.
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