Fw: News 8 Austin erroneous story on safety of saline implants

[Guest guest]

----- Original Message ----- From: Zuckerman

Undisclosed-Recipient:;@...

Sent: Saturday, December 07, 2002 9:28 PM

Subject: News 8 Austin erroneous story on safety of saline implants

Here is a response I just sent to News 8 Austin to correct their incorrect news story (a copy of the original news story follows my response below). I hope those of you in Texas will also contact them through their website.

To News 8 Austin:

Your recent news story on breast implants included one very serious error. All breast implants, whether filled with silicone gel or saline, interfere with mammograms. Any plastic surgeon who says otherwise is completely incorrect (and should not be quoted as an expert on your program).

Women with breast implants must receive special mammograms that cost more and expose the woman to twice as much radiation each time. Even so, approximately 30% of her breasts will be obscured by the implants -- which means that a woman with implants has a 30% chance that her cancerous tumor will not be visible on her mammogram.

This is not a controversial issue; any knowledgeable plastic surgeon will tell you this is fact. The FDA and implant manufacturers readily acknowledge the problem; one example is on the FDA website at:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/400_implant.html

Your audience trusts you and they deserve accurate medical information. One in eight women in Austin will get breast cancer, and some of these women are considering breast implants. They need to know the facts. I hope you will correct this story on your website, and also run a correction on air. Please let me know if our research center can be helpful.

Sincerely,

Zuckerman, Ph.D.PresidentNational Center for Policy Research (CPR) for Women & Families1901 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20006202 223-4000www.center4policy.org

-----------

News 8 Austin http://www.news8austin.com/content/living/health_beat/?SecID=169 & ArID=53721

The risks of breast augmentation12/3/2002 12:00 PMBy: Ivanhoe Broadcast NewsFlawless faces, toned figures and beautiful breasts are what women seeeveryday in ads. So now, more than ever, they are making the choicefor breast augmentation., in her 30s, desperately wanted a change for herself."I decided to get breast augmentation because I had three children,I'm a single mom and after breast feeding and being out here in thesingle life I thought this would make me feel better about myself,"she said.That's not a n uncommon feeling says on doctor."It is within all of us, a great desire to just be normal and mostpeople like aren't trying to be in show business or to changetheir life they're just wanting to be normal," said Dr. Ersek,a plastic surgeon.But there's been a lot of concern about the long-term risks associatedwith the procedure itself. Much attention has been focused on thesafety of silicon implants, additionally there is concern this kind ofcosmetic surgery may increase the risk of breast cancer."If you had implants for cosmetic reasons, it may make it moredifficult to read a mammogram, in your case, because the implants willhide part of the breast tissue. It would just not be technicallypossible to see the entire breast during the mammogram," said Dr.Colleen Silva.Ersek said that saline implants allow X-rays and mammograms."Silicon was not toxic in any way but it would block X-rays so thatyou couldn't see through it where as saline is about like normaltissue, so if there's something questionable you can see right throughit," Ersek said.Like , many women experience different levels of physical andemotional side effects relating to the surgery, which they shouldunderstand before it's done. So, it's important to discuss realisticexpectations with your plastic surgeon.