The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public about reports of cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and various lymphomas, in the scar tissue (capsule) that forms around breast implants. The various lymphomas reported are not the same as the lymphomas described in previous FDA Communications as Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL). The FDA learned about these reports through our continual postmarket review of breast implants and our ongoing collaboration with external stakeholders.

After preliminary review of published literature as part of our ongoing monitoring of the safety of breast implants, the FDA is aware of less than 20 cases of SCC and less than 30 cases of various lymphomas in the capsule around the breast implant. As of September 1, 2022, the FDA has received 10 medical device reports (MDRs) about SCC related to breast implants and 12 MDRs about various lymphomas related to breast implants. The FDA recognizes the limitations of MDR data, including that reports do not necessarily represent unique cases. Reports submitted to the FDA are just one source the FDA uses to monitor the safety of medical devices, in addition to mandated postmarket studies, published literature, and real-world data from registries and claims databases. The FDA will continue to gather and review all available data from these sources to evaluate the occurrence of cancers in the capsule around breast implants.

Read more at U.S. Food and Drug Administration >>