Recent breast implant scandal shows lunacy of injecting silicone into the body

Thursday, January 05, 2012 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer
Tags: breast implants, silicone, toxic effects

(NaturalNews) Former owner of the now-defunct Poly Implant Prosthese (PIP), which once produced silicone-based breast implants, says his illegal substitution of homemade silicone gel is not a health threat because the silicone compound is supposedly non-toxic. But the scandal has brought to light some of the long-term dangers associated with implanting silicone into the body, which include the potential for developing cancer, as well as the need to repeatedly maintain the implants for life.

Jean-Claude Mas used to be a silicone implant guru in both his home country of France and around the world, that is until it was discovered that the silicone gel implants he was using for surgeries had a high rupture rate. Mas insists in light of the ordeal that the products are "non-toxic" and safe for women, just like normal implants supposedly are (http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/breast-implant-maker-admits-non-approved-silcone-gel-insists-material-non-toxic-article-1.998354).

But this is not entirely true, as an implant rupture can cause permanent scar tissue, inflammation, and even cancer. In fact, a National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) report on the safety of silicone breast implants explains that tumors can develop around the breast in response to their presence. And both silicone gel and solid silicone are carcinogenic, which means they can lead to cancer (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44789/).

Reuters reports that silicone breast implants also have to be replaced numerous times throughout a person's lifetime, which involves subsequent surgeries that are far more complex and high-risk than the initial one. And besides the high costs associated with this residual maintenance, each surgery carries with it additional health risks, such as increased inflammation and serious infection.

Though many major health groups continue to deny that silicone implants can cause long-term health problems, a citizen petition dated back from 1995 cites scientific evidence compiled as early as 1960 showing that silicone gel and polyurethane foam (PUF), both of which are used in breast implants, are carcinogenic. The petition also states that this carcinogenicity has been confirmed by internal US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) documents (http://www.preventcancer.com/press/petitions/may12_95.htm).

However, injecting any foreign material into the body is dangerous, as the immune system is programmed to fight against it as a harmful invader. This is why breast implants can cause a lifetime of health problems, especially when the silicone and other plastic materials of which they are made begin to degrade and leech into the body.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/27/us-breast-implants-idUSTRE7BQ0EC20111227

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/breast-implant-maker-admits-non-approved-silcone-gel-insists-material-non-toxic-article-1.998354