Do Breast Implants Cause Cancer or Increase Your Risk for It

Current research hasn’t found a connection between breast cancer and breast implants. But textured implants may increase your risk for a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL).
Some breast implants slightly raise the risk of an uncommon type of lymphoma. But implants don’t increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

About breast implants and ALCL
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first noted a possible linkTrusted Source between breast implants and cancer in 2011. It’s not breast cancer, which forms in cells on the breast, but an immune system cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL)Trusted Source.
ALCL is a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It’s rare and estimated to account for only 1% of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cases and 16% of T cell lymphomas. Worldwide, it’s caused 1,264 cases and 63 deathsTrusted Source as of 2023.

Breast implant-associated ALCL (BIA-ALCL) develops in scar tissue and fluid near the implant. Like any cancer, it can spread. Without treatment, it can cause death.
A 2021 systematic reviewTrusted Source cites studies that found an association between breast implants and increased risk of BIA-ALCL. However, the risk can depend on the implant manufacturer and whether the implant is textured.
What are the symptoms of ALCL?

Symptoms of systemic ALCL may include:
• swollen lymph nodes
• fever
• night sweats
• weight loss

Cutaneous ALCL mainly affects the skin. Symptoms can include skin lesions that don’t heal.
Other signs and symptoms of BIA-ALCL can include:
• persistent swelling of the breast
• a lump or mass near the implant
• asymmetry of the breasts
• tenderness or pain near the implant

Symptoms can start any time after your breast implant surgery but often take years to develop.
If your doctor suspects BIA-ALCL, the next step will likely be an ultrasound or MRI.
If there is excess fluid around the implant, a sample can be obtained with fine needle aspiration. If there is a mass, a tissue biopsy is needed. These samples will be sent to a laboratory for testing.

Do breast implants increase your risk for other types of cancer?
There’s no evidence that breast implants raise the risk of developing any other types of cancer, including breast cancer.
Takeaway
The FDA has warned that textured implants may slightly increase your risk of developing ALCL, a type of lymphoma.
If you still have these implants but are symptom-free, it may not be necessary to remove them. Symptoms or not, you should see a doctor regularly to have them checked.