Cancer associated with breast implants used in reconstructive surgery

Insurance agent Raylene Hollrah was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. The successful businesswoman, who owns her own insurance company, made a life changing decision; she underwent chemotherapy and had her breasts removed and reconstructed.

Hollrah made the brave decision to go through painful and gruelling surgery and treatment in the hopes she would free herself from breast cancer. Unfortunately, six years later, Hollrah was diagnosed with cancer again.

Shockingly, it wasn’t a return of the breast cancer; it was a “rare malignancy of the immune system” that was reportedly caused as a result of the breast implants used in her reconstructive surgery…

The very procedure she underwent to get rid of her first cancer has reportedly caused her a second fight with cancer.

Raylene Hollrah stated:

“My whole world came crumbling down again… I had spent the past six years going to the oncologist every three months trying to keep cancer away, and here was something I had put in my body to try to help me feel more like a woman, and it gave me cancer.”

We can only imagine the pain and anguish Ms Hollrah went through with the second diagnosis. Whilst some recovering cancer patients unfortunately see a relapse and a return of their cancer, this is a diagnosis caused by treatment used to help her recover from a previous cancer. Hollrah was understandably devastated. Her first thoughts were:

“I’m not going to see my kids grow up.”

Rare cancer linked to breast implants

The breast implants reportedly associated with ‘anaplastic large-cell lymphoma’ is a very rare – yet very deadly – disease that reportedly affects people who have had breast implants. So far, nine women have died from this disease and all of them had textured breast implants.

Authorities have researched the cancer and its potential links with the implants and found the textured surface designed to prevent the implant from slipping underneath the skin can cause inflammation with the flesh it comes into contact with. So far, there are 359 known reports of implant-associated lymphoma, but it’s feared the real number could be much higher. Diagnosis usually only works with patient and physician monitoring, so unless checked, some people who have had textured breast implants might not even know they’re at risk.

Will authorities recognise the potential dangers?

Manufacturers of any product have an important duty to ensure that whatever they make is safe and fit for purpose. Healthcare providers also have a duty to pass along any information about products that may carry risks for patients. Breast implant providers and physicians must go through all of the risks the patient may be exposed to both in the short and long term.

After authorities started to recognise the dangers of textured breast implants, experts at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network came together to offer guidance on what to do in case lymphoma was found in relation to breast implants. The group of experts came to a consensus that the implant should be removed, along with any tissue that came into contact with it. With something as aggressive as cancer, the better treatment method can be to remove the affected tissue.