Fw: Today's rally ... Demonstrators: Keep Silicone Implants Banned ... 2 articles

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Sent: Wednesday, October 08, 2003 11:17 AM

Subject: Today's rally ... Demonstrators: Keep Silicone Implants Banned ... 2 articles

http://www.wxii12.com/health/2540488/detail.html

Demonstrators: Keep Silicone Implants Banned

POSTED: 1:04 p.m. EDT October 8, 2003

The government is being urged not to let silicone breast implants back on the market.

Several dozen people marched Wednesday in front of the Health and Human Services building in Washington, urging Secretary Tommy to block any move to allow sales of the devices to resume.

The demonstrators charge the silicone causes serious diseases and health problems after it seeps from its shell. They urged to block a Food and Drug Administration panel from allowing the implants back on the market.

They charge the FDA appears willing to only consider the results of a three-year trial, even though its own researchers warn that problems with implants greatly increase after seven to 10 years.

The FDA banned implants more than 10 years ago for all but a few cancer survivors enrolled in special studies.

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http://biz./prnews/031008/dcw048_1.html

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Press Release Source: Breast Cancer Action; In the Know; National Organization for Women; Public Citizen; Feminist Majority Foundation

Consumer & Women's Health Groups Picket HHS Against Approval Of Silicone Gel Breast ImplantsWednesday October 8, 1:00 pm ET FDA Poised to Lift Restrictions; Hearings Scheduled Oct 14th & 15th Women Senators Decry Government Hypocrisy

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, women harmed by silicone breast implants traveled from all over the country to picket the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They called on HHS Secretary Tommy to stop the U.S. Food and Drug Administration from lifting restrictions on the sale of the devices. Women carried giant photographs of broken breast implants and posters showing terrible disfigurements caused by the devices and chanted, "Silicone breast implants hurt women. Tommy , protect women." For three hours, women came to the microphone to tell their personal stories of breast implant problems. As the women shared their stories in front of HHS, a lawsuit by another of its agencies, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid, asking for the reimbursement of millions of dollars in health care costs due to breast implant injuries was made public. A letter from women senators calling attention to the suit and decrying the government h ypocrisy was circulated. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Landrieu (D- LA) signed the letter.

The women came to D.C. one week before the FDA convenes an advisory panel to consider lifting restrictions on silicone gel breast implants. The FDA is only looking at data from a clinical trial that began three years ago even through their own researchers have shown that problems with implants increase dramatically at, on average, seven to ten years after implantation.

"Another generation of women should not suffer because the FDA has bowed to pressure from manufacturers and plastic surgeons," said Kim Gandy, President of the National Organization for Women. "How can the FDA approve silicone breast implants while its parent agency is suing for millions in reimbursement? Tommy must protect American women from silicone gel breast implants."

Women may get silicone gel breast implants for health reasons and they are widely available for cosmetic purposes through clinical trials.

Women at the rally spoke of the unacceptably high complication rates for cancer survivors. "Everyone is concerned about women who need the devices after mastectomy. But cancer survivors can already get silicone and saline implants without restriction. So there is no public health need to approve the devices," said Sybil Niden Goldrich, who received implants after mastectomy. "Tommy and Mark McClellan can not put these things back on the market until we understand their long-term health effects."

Breast implant sales continue to soar (up over 600 percent between 1992 and 2002). More than 300,000 women received the devices last year -- more than ever before. All implants fall apart in the body over time; at least one in four women require additional surgery related to the implants with five years; and the little long-term health research that's been done has found increased incidence of cancer and fibromyalgia.

"Tell me I did not suffer in vain," said McDonough, an actress who played on the Waltons and who founded the LA-based support group In the Know with other women from the entertainment community. "My breast implants nearly killed me. I simply cannot believe that after all that I have been through -- and everything hundreds of thousands of women have suffered -- that the FDA would put these back on the market after looking at only three years of data."

Sponsoring organizations include Breast Cancer Action, In the Know, the National Organization for Women, Public Citizen, The Feminist Majority Foundation, The National Council of Women's Organizations, CAN DO, National Silicone Implant Foundation, Silicone Solutions Outreach of Northern Louisiana, Toxic Discovery Network and other groups.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source: Breast Cancer Action; In the Know; National Organization for Women; Public Citizen; Feminist Majority Foundation

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For more links, please visit:

www.BreastImplantAwareness.org

Please sign the Petition asking the FDA to halt the approval of Inamed's implants based on less than 3 years study.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/705718085

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