Women with silicone breast implants do not have an increased risk of health problems such as fatigue, muscle pain, headache or depression, according to research from the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI). The outcome should help women with breast cancer if they are hesitant to get implants.
Doctors investigated the relationship between the symptoms and the breast implants. These are eighteen complaints that are sometimes referred to as ‘Breast Implant Illness’ in women with breast implants. Some suspect that the complaints are the result of the implants.
But the researchers have found no link. The complaints occur just as often in women with implants as in other women. In all study groups, approximately 20 percent of the women had four or more complaints.
More than six thousand women completed a questionnaire about physical complaints. The participants were all registered with the Dutch Cancer Registry.
Some participants had opted for silicone implants after amputation. Others underwent, for example, a reconstruction with the patient’s own tissue, an amputation without reconstruction, or a breast-conserving surgery.
Research focused on complaints without a direct link to implants
The research focused on complaints that are not directly related to the breast implants. Complaints that are directly related to a breast implant or its placement were not included in the study. This is information that is already known.
For example, implants can cause breast pain in some women. “That is a local problem in the breast, because too much scar tissue is formed,” says principal investigator Floor van Leeuwen of the NKI to NU.nl.
“That can arise if you introduce non-body’s own material into the body. That is actually a very natural reaction. Plastic surgeons also inform their patients in advance about the percentage of women in whom this occurs. This research was not about that. We focused on complaints that have no specific relationship with implants.”
The research also did not concern pain after leaks from some specific types of implants. It is also known that the cause lies in defects in implants from some manufacturers.
Research helps women make a choice
With the results, women are better informed for their choice of whether they want implants. They regularly hesitate about implants for fear of Breast Implant Illness, says physician-researcher Jonathan Spoor of the NKI, which is part of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital.
“Our study shows that such complaints do not occur more often in women with a reconstruction with silicone breast implants,” says Spoor. “This information is important and reassuring for women considering reconstruction and women with implants.”
The researchers emphasize that women with complaints should be taken seriously. “They must be able to count on recognition and understanding from their healthcare provider. Possible underlying causes of the complaints must be investigated.”