Kim Gale  |  December 8, 2020

Category: Breast Implants

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Young woman cancer survivor next to window
Women who have received a breast implant cancer diagnosis of anaplastic large cell lymphoma may have many questions, including “is anaplastic large cell lymphoma curable?” While this condition is scary, and may affect thousands of women across the globe, the prognosis for remission is good.

What is Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma?

Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) is a rare type of cancer that often occurs in patients who have received prosthetic breast implants. ALCL is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and accounts for about one percent of all non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases. ALCL often initially appears in the lymph nodes, the skin, or the internal organs.

According to a report released by the United States Food and Drug Administration in February 2019, people who have received breast implants may be at increased risk for a specific subtype of ALCL known as breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA ALCL). Women who have received textured breast implants may be at additional risk. These breast implants have a roughly textured surface that is designed to hold the prosthetics in place in the chest, and prevent them from migrating into the armpit. Silicone and saline implants may both be linked to an increased risk of BIA ALCL, and some Allergan implants have been voluntarily recalled.

When a breast implant is inserted into the chest, a scar capsule forms around the implant. This capsule holds the implant in place. It is inside of this capsule where BIA-ALCL generally occurs. BIA ALCL is an immune system cancer, not of the breast tissue itself, but of the scar tissue capsule surrounding the breast implants.

Is Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Curable?

If BIA ALCL is only found in the scar tissue capsule surrounding the implant and has not spread to other tissues in the body, treatment may be straightforward and put a patient into long term remission. If the breast implant and surrounding scar tissue are removed, there may be no need for further treatment.

In some cases where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, radiation and chemotherapy may be necessary. However, these treatments are usually not required for the treatment of BIA ALCL.

According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, 93 percent of patients diagnosed with BIA ALCL are symptom-free after three years if the condition is caught and treated quickly.

Symptoms of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma

Symptoms of BIA ALCL may include lumps in the breast or armpit, breast pain, swelling, fluid build-up, changes in breast texture or appearance, or skin rash. Women with implants who have experienced unexplained breast implant illness symptoms may want to see their doctor and be examined for BIA ALCL.

How is ALCL Diagnosed?

ALCL diagnosis may require taking a small biopsy or sample of the affected tissue. Additional tests including blood tests, CT scans, PET scans, MRI scans, or bone marrow biopsies may also be used to identify and diagnose the condition.

Are There Different Kinds of Breast Cancer?

Many issues with breast cancer have similar symptoms for patients and will have similar treatment options. However, there is not just one kind of breast cancer; moreover, information around BIA ALCL has been unique since it is connected to certain kinds of breast implants, but not the breast itself.

The kind of cancer and name for breast cancer depends on the specific cells inside the impacted breast. The vast majority of breast cancer cases are carcinomas, which refer to tumor that begin in the cells that line organs and in tissues all over the body.

In general, ALCL is a very rare kind of blood cancer. It is especially dangerous because it’s more common in younger people, grows very quickly, and often comes back after it has been treated. It is not yet known what causes ALCL, even though researchers have found out that it is not an inherited condition that gets passed down through families.

When you go to a doctor with this particular kind of breast implant illness, the doctor will be looking for swollen areas that need to be biopsied. The cells from the biopsy are then analyzed under a microscope to determine whether or not the patient does have anaplastic large cell lymphoma or another cancer.

Any form of breast cancer or cancer altogether is serious; if you have not been feeling well and have consistent symptoms in relation to your condition, this information should be shared with your physician as soon as possible so that they can conduct proper testing.

Why Are Textured Implants More Dangerous?

Young woman cancer survivor in hospital bedThere are some theories as to why textured breast implants are affiliated with a higher risk of developing BIA ALCL. Because of their rough texture, the shell of the textured implants may cause more inflammation as it rubs against the inner breast wall. Constant inflammation is related to an increased risk of other types of cancer and can cause fluid to collect at the site of such an inflammatory response.

Jeffrey Kenkel, M.D. is a plastic surgeon with UT Southwestern Medical Center who said some patients may be more inclined genetically to develop BIA ALCL.

Kenkel said that if a person is going to develop BIA-ALCL, the symptoms generally begin to present themselves between three and 14 years after receiving the breast implants. He also noted  that even though 28 women with BIA-ALCL reported to the FDA that they had received smooth and not textured implants, there is a likelihood that these same women had previously received either textured implants or had used textured tissue expanders prior to the placement of their smooth implants.

A few years ago before BIA ALCL was very well-known, women spoke of having to convince their doctors that the cancer was even a possibility. One woman said when she discussed it with her doctor, he told her it was so rare that the chances were similar to her winning the lottery. She said a year later, she was diagnosed with BIA ALCL. She had four masses near the scar capsule, two of which were behind the implant and unseen by either a mammogram or ultrasound. After surgery and several rounds of chemotherapy, the woman remains in remission, but will need follow-up PET scans for years to come, she said.

How Rare is BIA ALCL?

According to the FDA’s report, nearly 500 women in the U.S. have been diagnosed with BIA ALCL. At least nine of these women have died due to the condition. While research is still being conducted on the exact risk of BIA ALCL, it is currently estimated to occur in as many as one in every 3,817 patients with breast implants. Approximately 1.5 million patients receive breast implants every year across the globe.

If you have received breast implants and have been diagnosed with BIA ALCL, you may be able to hire an attorney and file a medical device class action lawsuit. Victims who file lawsuits may be able to receive compensation for medical expenses, injuries, pain and suffering, and loss of income.

Join a Free Breast Implants Side Effects Lawsuit Investigation

You may qualify for this breast implant investigation under these circumstances: 

  • You were implanted with BIOCELLE or Natrelle textured breast implants; 
  • You were diagnosed with Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA ALCL); or
  • You have had revision surgery after learning about this cancer risk.

Fill out the form on this page for a free case evaluation by a breast implants injury attorney. 

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


Get Help – It’s Free

Join a Free Breast Implants Side Effects Lawsuit Investigation

If you qualify, an attorney will contact you to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client or getting you dropped as a client.

E-mail any problems with this form to:
Questions@TopClassActions.com.

  • The law firms responsible for the content of this page are:
    LegaFi Law LLC (an Arizona law firm)
    888-4-LegaFi
    legafi.com
    and
    Levin Papantonio Rafferty Proctor Buchanan O'Brien Barr Mougey, P.A.
    Pensacola, FL
    800-277-1193
    levinlaw.com
  • Hidden
  • Please note that if you were not implanted with textured breast implants, you will not qualify for this investigation.
  • We tell you about cash you can claim every week! Subscribe to our free newsletter today.
    By checking this box, I consent to receive from Top Class Actions marketing emails and/or marketing calls or text messages sent by an automatic telephone dialing system. I consent to Top Class Actions providing my phone number and email address to the lawyers or their agents sponsoring this investigation, and their co-counsel, if any, and I consent to receive marketing calls, text messages, and/or emails from those lawyers or their agents. I understand that this authorization overrides any previous registrations on a federal or state Do Not Call registry. You may opt out at any time. You can review Top Class Actions' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy here.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.