Australia has released breast implant illness statistics that indicate four women there have died of breast implant anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), a rare form of cancer being seen among breast implant recipients throughout the world.

Professor Anand Deva of MacQuarie University’s MQ Health said 29 new diagnoses have been confirmed in the past year. In total, Australia has identified 97 cases across the nation.

As in other parts of the world, patients with the most highly textured implants were most apt to be diagnosed with breast implant anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), according to a study, which has been accepted as a unique subtype of anaplastic large cell lymphoma associated with the rough-surfaced implant materials.

BIA-ALCL is a type of non-Hodgin’s lymphoma and is specifically a T-cell lymphoma, which means it is a type of cancer that originates in the T cells, white blood cells that help the immune system. The FDA says most data suggests the cancer is detected within seven or eight years of breast implantation.

BIA-ALCL is normally found in an area known as the fibrous scar capsule adjacent to the breast implant, but not within the breast tissue itself.

Breast Implant Illness Statistics Highlight Textured Implants

Textured breast implants are available in Grades 1, 2, 3 or 4, with Grade 4 being the most highly textured. In Australia, nearly 80 percent of the ALCL cases were reportedly linked to texture Grades 3 and 4; Just under 20 percent of the cases involved texture Grade 2 implants.

While France and Canada banned highly textured breast implants in April of this year, Australia is continuing to investigate the issue.

The Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has asked manufacturers to submit samples of textured implants that can be analyzed along with all of the details regarding the breast implant materials. Upon the completion of their own testing protocols, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration will determine whether to suspend, ban or restrict the textured implants.

The Brisbane Times spoke with a woman named Annemarie who underwent breast implant surgery and received Grade 3 textured implants. Approximately eight years later, she felt her right breast had rather hardened, but also had developed fluid outside of the implant.

The Grade 3 implants were removed and replaced with Grade 4 implants, and the fluid that had accumulated tested positive for ALCL. She had the Grade 4 implants removed two weeks later in addition to the breast scar capsule and an ALCL tumor.

In most cases, no other treatment is needed, but her doctor will help her decide whether or not she needs chemotherapy or radiation after she obtains results from new MRIs or CT scans.

U.S. FDA Warning of BIA-ALCL

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the public in February of this year that breast implants could cause the development of BIA-ALCL. The FDA first became aware of the potential link between breast implants and ALCL in 2011, but there were so few cases, the FDA was not able to determine what placed a patient at higher risk.

The FDA’s warning covers patients who have received any type of breast implant, whether or not it is textured, but the agency does realize most of the reports they have received are regarding the highly textured breast implants.

According to the FDA’s breast implant illness statistics, a minimum of 457 women have been diagnosed with BIA-ALCL in the U.S., and nine of them have died as a result of the lymphoma.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.