An international research group has concluded that breast implants can cause a new subtype of rare, yet malignant, lymphoma known as anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). This type of cancer is usually found in lymph nodes, skin, lung, liver, and soft tissue, but is not usually found in the breast. The researchers found that cases in which ALCL developed in the breast were almost exclusively involved individuals with breast implants. The actual reasons why breast implants can cause lymphoma are currently unknown, but the research team suspects the cause is an abnormal immune response. In many cases, the lymphoma subsided once the implants were removed.
Mutation Research, August 2014