Many women looking to undergo breast augmentation are concerned with the risk of cancer related to silicone implants, as well as the risk of the implant obscuring breast tissue during a mammogram when detecting cancer.

When accusations arose in the 1980’s regarding silicone implants and links to cancer, autoimmune diseases and other systemic diseases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided to enact a 30 month testing period for the implants. After that time, officials felt there was insufficient data to prove whether or not the implants could be linked to cancer. At this point the silicone implants were banned for cosmetic use, however, were still approved for use during breast reconstruction subsequent to mastectomy and breast cancer. In 1993, after the FDA felt thorough testing had been completed, silicone implants were approved for cosmetic use under the guideline that continued controlled clinical studies would be perform. To this day no sufficient evidence has been provided to link silicone implants to any form of cancer or related disease.

In fact, according to a Swedish study of 3,400 women, breast augmentation patients had a 30% decreased rate of breast cancer. A similar study of 13,000 women in the United States showed that women with breast implants also had a decreased rate of breast cancer. This is believed to be related to the decreased temperature of the breast, compression of breast tissue and stimulation of immunological response. Experts believe it may also be attributed to the fact that the majority of patients stem from a higher socioeconomic class, where patients have tendencies toward better nutrition and overall health.

Interestingly, studies from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium also show that breast cancer is detected at approximately the same time whether or not the patient has implants. Furthermore, when breast cancer is discovered, patients with breast implants are more likely to have a lower grade of the cancer.

When it comes to detecting breast cancer, implants can obscure breast tissue by 15%-50% depending on the surgical technique performed during the breast augmentation and the technique used to perform the mammogram.

Both silicone and saline implants display as a white, mostly opaque oval on the mammogram. One does not obscure visualization more than the other. However, implants placed under the muscle significantly increase visibility of the breast tissue.
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When scheduling your appointment to receive a mammogram, it is very important to inform the practice that you have undergone breast augmentation. Mammograms for patients with breast implants require more time to properly examine the breast.

To gain maximum exposure of the breast, a trained technician will push the implant back as far as possible toward the chest wall and pull the breast tissue forward. This technique can improve readings by up to 92%. Breast augmentation patients undergoing mammograms also require 4 views of the breast rather than 2 in order to view as much of the breast as possible.