Breast
Cancer Prognosis Similar Between Women with Breast Augmentation
and Those Without
According to a recent article published in The Journal of
the American Medical Association, breast augmentation decreases
the ability of mammography to detect breast cancer. However,
women with breast augmentation who are diagnosed with breast
cancer have similar prognostic characteristics as women without
breast augmentation who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
1
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. A previous clinical study demonstrated that the diagnosis
of breast cancer was not delayed in women with breast implants.
2 However, researchers continue to evaluate this issue. Recently,
a multi-institutional clinical trial was conducted to further
evaluate the impact of breast augmentation on the detection
of breast cancer. This trial included over 800 women with
breast cancer ? 137 of whom had breast augmentation, and 685
of whom did not have augmentation who were diagnosed between
1995 and 2002. Nearly 100,000 women without breast cancer
were also included in the study ? 10, 533 of whom had breast
augmentation and 974, 915 of whom did not have augmentation.
All women underwent mammography screening.
The ability of mammography to detect breast cancer was reduced
among women with breast augmentation, compared to women without
augmentation. However, prognostic factors of cancers, including
estrogen-receptor status, the presence, absence or number
of lymph nodes to which the cancer had spread, the extent
to which the cancer had spread (stage), and the size of the
cancer, were similar between women with or without breast
augmentation. Women with breast augmentation tended to have
less aggressive cancers.
The researchers concluded that even though the ability to
detect breast cancer is reduced by mammography in patients
with breast augmentation compared those without augmentation,
the prognostic factors of the cancer are similar between the
two groups of women. Women with breast augmentation should
discuss with their physician the most appropriate screening
schedule for breast cancer for their individual case.
References:
1. Miglioretti D, Rutter C, Geller B, et al. Effect of Breast
Augmentation on the Accuracy of Mammography and Cancer Characteristics.
The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2004;291:442-450.
2. 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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