Breast implants linked to a rare type of cancer removed from sale

The manufacturer of bad implants, Allergan Inc., announced Wednesday the global withdrawal of its textured models due to a link with a rare cancer type.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it had requested the withdrawal after receiving information that Allergan Biocell's textured surface implants were linked to a disproportionate number of lymphoma cases. France, Australia and Canada have already taken similar steps.

The FDA does not recommend that women with implants have them removed if they do not have any problems.

Biocell implants include a textured surface to prevent movement and minimize scar tissue. These models cover 5% of the US market. The vast majority of bad implants used in the United States have a smooth surface, according to AP.

Health authorities have linked cancer to textured implants for the first time in 2011. This is not a bad cancer but a lymphoma that develops in the scar tissue around the bad. It develops slowly and in general, it is successfully treated by surgical removal of implants.

In May, the FDA said the danger was not such that it deserved a national ban on implants. But Wednesday, he said that new data show a direct link of cancer with Allergan implants, but not with other textured implants.

"Once the evidence showed that the product of a certain manufacturer seemed to be directly related to significant disorders and even to the death of the patient, the FDA acted," said the MP for the agency Amy Abernethy, in a statement.

Statistic data

According to the FDA, the most recent figures show that more than 80% of the 570 confirmed cases of lymphoma are related to Allergan implants. These figures include the 116 cases detected in recent months.