The FDA lifted a 14-year ban on silicone breast implants in 2006. Since then, lawsuits have been filed against manufacturers for downplaying serious side effects like silicone toxicity, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and death.
Need a Texas Breast Implant Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer or had a doctor suggest breast implant removal because of a predisposition to cancer, you should contact us you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
UPDATE: Breast Implant Class Action
Two women who were diagnosed with cancer have filed a class action lawsuit against Allergan. Both of the women say they were forced to pay out-of-pocket for surgery to remove their breast implants after they were diagnosed with a cancer called Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL).
Allergan Recalls Textured Breast Implants for Cancer Risk
In a major reversal, Allergan recalled all BIOCELL® textured breast implants in the U.S. after the FDA reported 33 deaths and 574 cases of a rare but aggressive cancer called Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL).
Recalled Breast Implants Linked to 6X Risk of Cancer
Studies linked Allergan’s recalled breast implants to a 6-fold increased risk of ALCL compared to other breast implants.
Allergan will recall the following breast implants in the U.S.:
- Textured Natrelle Inspira Breast Implants
- Natrelle 410 Breast Implants
- BRST Breast Implants
- Allergan Tissue Expanders 133Plus
Breast Cancer Survivors May Be At Risk of Lymphoma
A woman from Missouri who survived breast cancer was recently re-diagnosed with cancer as a result of the breast implants that were used to reconstruct her chest. Her right breast tripled in size and filled painfully with fluid. Her surgeon removed the implant and replaced it, but tested the fluid. It was positive for lymphoma.
“My whole world came crumbling down again. I had spent the past six years going to the oncologist every three months trying to keep cancer away, and here was something I had put in my body to try to help me feel more like a woman, and it gave me cancer.”
Breast Implants Linked to Cancer
The FDA made a safety announcement in January 2011 regarding an increased risk of developing “Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma” (ALCL), which is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma that can develop around a breast implant. The FDA received more than 60 reports of ALCL from people who had breast implants, but the number is probably lower than the actual number.
FDA Warning: 457 Reports of Cancer and 9 Deaths
In September 2019, the FDA updated their warnings after receiving over 457 reports of women who developed ALCL, including 9 women who died. Nearly all of these reports were in women with textured breast implants. Silicone gel-filled implants were also associated with more cases of ALCL than saline implants, even though silicone implants had only been on the market for 11 years.
Symptoms of Lymphoma in the Breast
Women with Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) from breast implants may suffer pain, swelling, lumps, or asymmetry of the breast. They may also have fluid build-up in the space around the implant. A doctor can sometimes diagnose ALCL by collecting a sample of this fluid and looking for cancer cells.
Other symptoms of lymphoma may include:
- Fever
- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Night sweats
- Weight loss
- Painless swelling in the armpit, neck or groin
- Enlarged lymph nodes
PIP Breast Implant Scandal in France
In December 2011, there was a scandal in France involving more than 30,000 women, who were implanted with faulty products that were filled with industrial silicone. Implants are supposed to be filled with medical-grade silicone. More than 1,000 women had the implants rupture.
Experts Question Safety of Silicone Breast Implants
The safety of silicone-gel breast implants is being questioned in the United States. A report from the National Research Center for Women and Families, a consumer advocacy group, found that the data the FDA used to approve silicone-gel implants may have been faulty or erroneous.
FDA Lifts 14-Year Ban on Silicone Breast Implants
Silicone-gel implants were banned in the U.S. in 1992 because there was evidence that the products could cause cancer, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious side effects. For more than a decade, only saline-filled products were allowed. In the meantime, the manufacturers of silicone-gel implants conducted safety research. In 2006, the FDA reviewed this data, and decided to allow silicone-gel implants back onto the U.S. market.
No Evidence of Long-Term Safety
The consumer advocacy group questioned why the FDA did not consider evidence that found women who underwent breast augmentation surgery had lower mental, emotional, and physical well being. The group also pointed out that the safety data showed complications decreasing from 2005 to 2009, when complications are known to increase over time.
Need a Breast Implant Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
Collen’s amazing success in the courtroom and well known dedication to his clients has earned him the recognition of his peers as one of The Top Trial Lawyers in Texas.”
The Clark Firm has assembled a team of trial lawyers with more than 100 years experience, participation in over 600 jury trials and $260 million in verdicts and/or settlements. Please use the form below to contact our Texas breast implant lawyers for a free lawsuit review.
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