The number of reported cases of a cancer linked to breast implants increased from 359 to 414 over the past year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said in a website update Wednesday.
The number of deaths recorded by the FDA remained at nine, but a professional society of plastic surgeons says there have been 16 deaths from the cancer, The New York Times reported.
The FDA’s numbers include cases in the U.S. and other countries.
The disease — breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma — is not breast cancer. It’s an immune system cancer that can usually be cured by surgery alone if detected early, The Timesreported.
Women with implants that have a textured coating are more likely to develop the disease than those with smooth implants. No link has been found between the disease and the implant contents — salt water or silicone, according to the FDA.
The agency also said that the disease is not associated with breast cancer. The risk is the same for women who get breast implants for cosmetic reasons and for those who get them during reconstructive surgery after breast cancer, The Times reported.
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