Newest and most accurate data and findings on BIA-ALCL in 2023
- jemmaquilleuse
- 26 août 2023
- 2 min de lecture
This text below is entirely written by BIA-ALCL survivor and data expert Jennifer Roth.
You can follow her FB page “ALCL in women with breast implants” which posts the latest most accurate studies, articles and data on BIA ALCL.
This text is posted with her permission.
Wether you are a patient or a health care professional you will not find another page that holds as much recent and accurate info on BIA cancers than this Facebook group.
Thank you Jennifer 🫶🏼
Text by JENNIFER ROTH
Minor changes have been made to accommodate this blog.
"New 2023 Article on BIA ALCL from the British Journal of Medicine
(I recommend patients download the article for future reference as it may only be free access for a limited time.)
This article incorporates 2023 data and recognizes that BIA ALCL is not always obvious or easy to diagnose.
Below are my notes (Jennifer's) organized by the subtitles found in the article. My notes are NOT a summary of the article. Instead, my notes flag information found in the article that I often find lacking in other resources.
The article was co-authored by BIA ALCL survivor, Roxane Vermeland. Also, I was the external patient reviewer mentioned at the end of the article.
The UK and Australian authors of the article may also be great resources for members of this group. (ALCL in women with breast implants)
The authors include two surgeons from the UK (Birmingham and Hull) and a primary care physician from Adelaide, Australia.
How do patients present?
Acknowledges that symptoms can be non-specific (meaning they can overlap with common benign complications/changes involving breasts or breast implants and thus are not specific to BIA ALCL).
Acknowledges that itching, increased firmness, breast pain, reddening of the skin (erythema), implant distortion, and change in breast shape are all symptoms of BIA ALCL.
Photos c and d in figure 1 highlight just how subtle and easily overlooked symptoms of BIA ALCL can be.
Acknowledges that symptoms of BIA ALCL may fluctuate (increase and decrease in severity over time).
Acknowledges that B symptoms (night sweats, fevers, or weight loss) and pathological lymph nodes are also symptoms of BIA ALCL. Figure 2 references the appropriateness of a PET/CT to investigate for signs of lymphoma when these symptoms are present.
How common is it?
Acknowledges that risk estimates may underestimate risk due to (1) under-reporting, (2) misdiagnosis, (3) missed diagnosis, and (4) lack of information about the prevalence of breast implantation and breast implant types.
The last three sources in Table 1 showcase the dramatic increases in risk estimates over time and the particularly high risk estimates for Biocell implants.
How is it diagnosed?
Acknowledges that fluid testing is not 100% reliable and that appropriate referrals and/or follow up are indicated even in the presence of a negative fluid test.
How can the risk of harm be minimised?
Acknowledges data by Fabio Santanelli Di Pompeo that implant exchange may reduce the risk of being diagnosed with BIA ALCL. (Note: it is unknown to what extent removing the implant vs removing the implant and capsule are contributing to the risk reduction.)
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