Researchers Find Clues as to How Implants Cause Breast Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL)

the Cancer Therapy Advisor take:

According to a new study published in the journal Mutation Research, researchers have found some clues as to why anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) develops in the breast following breast augmentation. ALCL is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and usually develops in the liver, lymph nodes, skin, and soft tissue, but rarely the breast.

In fact, nearly all cases of breast ALCL have occurred in patients that have undergone breast augmentation. The researchers found that the tumors always develop in the scar tissue surrounding the breast implant.

In the study, researchers reviewed all studies and case reports involving ALCL. They found 71 cases of ALCL that are linked to breast implants, signifying that the incidence of ALCL in women who underwent breast augmentation is still very rare. Furthermore, researchers found that almost all patients with implant-related ALCL were anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-negative and responded well to treatment.

Patients with ALK-negative ALCL typically require more aggressive treatment and do have poor survival rates. In addition, they found that removing the implant and the surrounding tissue was a successful form of treatment in many of the women, suggesting that the implant may cause an atypical immune response, resulting in cancer.