More on Implant-Related ALCL of the Breast – an Article Review

Updated 3/2017-- all links (except to my own posts) removed as many no longer active. 

Last week @prsjournal tweeted

Pre-print Article: Patient Death Attributable to Implant-Related Primary Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma of the B... http://bit.ly/o9lQ1f

The title definitely caught my eye.  I have finally read it and re-read it.
Here’s the abstract:

Implant-related primary anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) of the breast is a rare clinical entity. With increasing attention being paid to this disease, most cases reported to date in the literature have demonstrated indolent clinical courses responsive to explantation, capsulectomy, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.

We describe a case of bilateral implant-related primary ALCL of the breast that proved refractory to both standard and aggressive interventions, ultimately resulting in patient death secondary to disease progression. We situate this case in the context of the current state of knowledge regarding implant-related primary ALCL of the breast and suggest that this entity is generally, but not universally, indolent in nature.

The story of implant-related ALCL is far from being completely written.  This article notes (as did the recent FDA report) most investigations performed to date suggest an association between breast implants and primary ALCL of the breast.  The specifics regarding this relationship remain poorly defined.

A review of all reported cases of implant-related primary ALCL of the breast demonstrates no obvious correlation with implant fill type (silicone vs. saline), surface morphology (smooth vs. textured), implant position (subpectoral vs. subglandular), or indication for implant placement (cosmetic vs. reconstructive).

The FDA notes (bold emphasis is mine):

ALCL is a very rare condition; when it occurs, it has been most often identified in patients undergoing implant revision operations for late onset, persistent seroma. Because it is so rare and most often identified in patients with late onset of symptoms such as pain, lumps, swelling, or asymmetry, it is unlikely that increased screening of asymptomatic patients would change their clinical outcomes. The FDA does not recommend prophylactic breast implant removal in patients without symptoms or other abnormality.

……..

The FDA is requesting health care professionals report all confirmed cases of ALCL in women with breast implants to Medwatch, the FDA’s safety information and adverse event reporting program. Report online or by calling 800-332-1088.

Related posts:

More on Link Between Breast Implants and ALCL (April 25, 2011)

ALCL and Breast Implants – an article review (March 9, 2011)
ALCL and Breast Implants (January 31, 2011)
Breast Implants and Lymphoma Risk (June 29, 2009)


REFERENCE

Patient Death Attributable to Implant-Related Primary Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma of the Breast: A Case Report and Review of the Literature; Carty, Matthew J.; Pribaz, Julian J.; Antin, Joseph H.; Volpicelli, Elgida R.; Toomey, Christiana E.; Farkash, Evan A.; Hochberg, Ephraim P.; Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery., POST ACCEPTANCE, 19 July 2011; doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e318221db96