AUGMENTATION MAMMAPLASTY AND BREAST-CANCER - A 5-YEAR UPDATE OF THE LOS-ANGELES STUDY

We have previously reported on the risk of breast cancer in women duri ng the first few years following cosmetic augmentation mammaplasty and are now presenting results after longer exposure. Long-term carcinoge nicity of breast implants in humans has not been assessed previously. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 3112 patients with a medi an of 10.6 years of postimplant experience (range 0.1 to 31.7 years). Patients were enrolled from surgeons' records, and cancer outcomes wer e monitored by the population-based cancer registry serving Los Angele s County. Because of confidentiality concerns, there was no direct pat ient contact. Twenty-one breast cancers were observed among the implan t patients as compared with 31.7 expected, based on Los Angeles County incidence rates [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) = 66 percent, 95 percent confidence limits (CL): 41 percent, 101 percent]. For all othe r malignancies combined, 45 were observed and 50.0 were expected (SIR = 90 percent, CL: 66 percent, 120 percent). Although the numbers of ca ses were very small, increased frequencies of lung and vulvar cancers were observed. Based on the evidence to date, we conclude that there i s no increase in breast cancer incidence following augmentation mammap lasty.