Breast Cancer Risk

A decades-long study finds no connection between women with silicone breast implants and breast cancer. In the 37-year-long study, American researchers examined 3,486 Swedish women who received breast implants for cosmetic reasons. They discovered that only 53 of the women developed breast cancer, compared to 71.9 that would have been expected in the general population. The research was led by Joseph McLaughlin, Ph.D., cancer epidemiologist with the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Their findings were printed in the April 19, 2006 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.Many of the women studied had smaller breasts, gave birth at a younger age and were thin—all factors associated with a low risk of cancer. Researchers also found that the women with silicone implants were more likely to develop lung cancer than breast cancer. Of those studied, 20 developed lung cancer, compared to the predicted 9.1. Some researchers believe Swedish women with implants are more likely to smoke—thus increasing the likelihood of lung cancer.