Breast Implants, Explant Surgery, and Breast Implant Illness with Robert Whitfield MD - Episodes Tagged with “Breast Implant Toxicity”

Episode 58: ENCORE: Is There a Link Between Breast Implants and Cancer?

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 03:00:00 -0400

I can’t emphasize enough the fact that breast implant illness remains to be a topic that’s not often talked about by many, especially in the medical community, despite its several effects. Usually, women undergo explant surgery in an effort to heal their breast implants.

Today, we’ll be talking about the link between breast implants and cancer and I hope you learn more about breast implant illness as we continue to delve into the symptoms, latest surgical techniques for exploitation, and the recovery process for breast implant illness in my podcast series.

Different cancers associated with breast implants associated with anaplastic lymphoma

Following the premise that there aren’t a lot of research studies about breast implant illness, what many people don’t know is that there are different cancers associated with breast implants.

One of the kinds of cancer associated with breast implants is anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) which is a rare type of blood cancer. Textured implants have a very rough surface that was meant to help hold the implant in place, but it is supremely irritating to the tissues. This causes a T cell response which can ultimately lead to this lymphoma.

There are studies regarding this condition as early as 2008. In fact, there's a study in the Netherlands that was conducted wherein patients had textured implants and they observed that there was a development of lymphoma. This was further supported by more diagnoses in the United States where cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma were recorded yearly.

There's a new entity called breast implant associated squamous cell carcinoma (BIA-SCC) which has been found as a very rare tumor that may appear in the capsule around the breast implants. There is limited data on this but medical organizations and institutions are pushing for increased clinical awareness and more evidence-based studies regarding this.

From our previous episodes, we’ve talked about the correlation of inflammation and breast implant illness. Inflammation fundamentally and directly causes or triggers the development of these other cancers associated with breast implants.

Are you on a journey to healing and wellness but unsure of where to turn? Look no further than Dr. Rob’s Solutions.

Textured implants are becoming a problem which is why many markets have stopped the production of textured devices. In Europe, the US and even other countries, they have already limited the usage of textured devices. The traditional way of using smooth round implants in performing breast augmentation remains to be the best recommendation.

If you’re overwhelmed or unsure in your journey to healing and wellness, look no further – Dr. Rob’s Solutions is here. We fully understand the unique challenges that come with breast implant illness. We offer a wide range of products and services from the highest grade supplements to comprehensive lab testing to aid you in your journey to recovery.

Our supplements are specially formulated to support detoxification while our medical grade skincare products are designed to nourish and protect the skin. We also offer comprehensive lab testing to help identify any underlying health issues that may be contributing to your symptoms.

And for those who are ready and planning to undergo an explant surgery, we have the Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program (HARP) if you’re interested. This will help you further understand how your unique body can accelerate and optimize healing.

Don't let the uncertainty and confusion of breast implant illness hold you back any longer. Trust the experts at Dr. Rob’s Solutions to provide you with the resources and support you need to take control of your health and wellness.

How do we safely evaluate and monitor these patients as part of our practice?

First things first, we look for any pre-existing conditions like autoimmune disorders or anything that would affect the immune system and aggravate the current condition of the individual. If someone has a pre-existing cancer condition, we have to closely look at that.

But breast cancers are different from lymphomas and as of date, we haven’t seen nor recorded any case of such. From my experience with lymphoma, it’s safe to conclude that it’s really necessary to provide intense care for the patient.

Many devices have a rupture rate that increases over time but thankfully, the devices produced now have more longevity. We have to safely evaluate and monitor these patients. And as part of my oncology practice and cosmetic practice, I always encourage patients to do follow-up care involving regular medical checkups whether a few weeks or months after as a routine.

If we needed ultrasound or whatever test was necessary, we'd use that to better characterize both the health of the patient and device. From a structural standpoint, we want to know that it's intact.

And so, everything becomes challenging not just for the providers but also for the clients who want to have these procedures done for whatever purpose. Like what I always say, there has to be a clear discussion and review of relevant information such as their health history, their family’s health history, and other potential correlations between the development of these cancers or breast cancer for that matter.

Personally, I make use of functional genetics in crafting individualized plans for our patients and I suggest that we should leverage genetics whenever possible. And I hope that in the future, that is the way we'll be able to address and evaluate potential risks for these cancers developing in patients and put everybody in the best possible position for success.

Links and Resources

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Episode 57: ENCORE: How You Can Prevent Breast Implant Illness

Robert Whitfield MD — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 03:00:00 -0400

How can you prevent breast implant illness?

We’ve already defined what breast implant illness is in the previous podcast episode. It’s a broad term but to put it simply, it is a component of the overall inflammation in your system.

There’s also a need to look at the other components that contribute to your overall inflammation in order to prevent breast implant illness or at least prevent it from worsening. That’s why we have to identify food sensitivities as well. We have to look at how your body absorbs the food you consume.

An analysis of your stool sample’s DNA may be conducted to identify what stimulates you to become inflamed from your diet. However, it remains to be a tough challenge understanding and diagnosing how much inflammation someone has.

Consequently, it’s difficult to understand and diagnose breast implant illness because of that. With my experience of doing thousands of explants, I already know my way through this.

One of the potential ways to reduce your risk of developing inflammation that contributes to breast implant illness is identifying your surgeon for the best possible operative procedure whether it’s for reconstructive or cosmetic surgery. It greatly helps to have a great and trusted surgeon to discuss your condition with.

Choosing the right implant for your patient.

It’s important to carefully choose the right implant for your patient. The size of the implant must fit the frame of the patient while still giving an aesthetic outcome.

Make sure to monitor the status of your patient and her implant throughout the patient’s healing journey not just during the first year but also for the subsequent years to ensure that there are no issues. In my clinic, we have been using a high definition ultrasound for monitoring.

If there’s a change in implants, check with your provider to see if there is a change.

For those who noticed any changes in your implants, make sure to check with your provider to confirm if there’s any noticeable change or trauma. After that consultation, make sure to follow up just to make sure.

There are alternative therapies for those who are not comfortable with the risks associated with breast implants. We perform fat transfer for patients seeking natural breast augmentation. It accentuates the natural breasts’ form and unlike in an implant, it’s between the skin and fatty layer and above the breast tissue.

It’s difficult to change more than a cup size with a fat transfer so if you’re the patient, clearly set out your expectations with regard to what you’re seeking to change visually.

It’s important to make sure that the patients understand all the risks and benefits of the procedures. For fat transfer, factors such as the skin stretch, overall breast size, pregnancies and other history of the patient who wants to get a cup size change are taken into consideration.

As for breast implants, the patients are informed about the risks of breast implant associated cancers and other risks associated with the development of breast implants. That’s why having a qualified professional surgeon who is knowledgeable about these things is important.

If they don’t really understand things like how a patient’s genetic predisposition or overall toxicity affects the implants, it’s going to be tough for them to understand your condition and keep track of the status of your implants.

Links and Resources

Dr. Robert Whitfield’s Website

Follow Dr. Rob on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/drrobertwhitfield/

For more information on Virtual and In Person Consultations, we always answer our messenger personally:
https://www.drrobertwhitfield.com/contact/