Breast Implants: Get the Facts - Eeken

[Guest guest]

Thank you Eeken!

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USSW NEWS

United Silicone Survivors of the World

September 1996

Offical Journal - International Circulation

Letter from - Representative A. Traficant, Jr.

(OH)

Silicone Breast Implants: Get ALL The Facts

May 1996,

Ohio

2445 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Colleague,

I would like to proved additional insight on

information that was recently circulated to Members

regarding the Mayo Clinic Study and Harvard Nurses'

Study on silicone breast implants and immunological

disorders. I CAN ASSURE YOU: THE MAYO CLINIC STUDY AND

THE HARVARD NURSES STUDY ARE SERIOUSLY FLAWED. In a

hearing before the House Subcommitte on Government

Reform and Oversight in August 1995, I testified on

the following facts about the Harvard Nurses Study #1:

(1) Its authors excluded all women who developed

diseases after May of 1990, thereby excluding many

women who developed symptoms years after receiving

implants

(2) Women were included who had implants in place for

as little as one mouth. (Many other studies report

that symptoms of autoimmune disease do not manifest

thenselves until 8 to 15 years after implantation)

(3) It did not look for the atypical diseases reported

by thousands of women across the country who have

received breast implants.

(4) The study group was so small that it would not

have found an association between cigarette smoking

and cancer.

(5) Three of the authors were either personally

receiving monies from breast implant manufacturers or

had agreed to act as a paid consultant for a breast

implant manufacturer while they were conducting the

study - yet they failed to disclose this at the time.

(6) While Dow Corning had no direct involvement in the

study, Dow Corning contributed $7 million to Brigham &

women's Hospital, the institution conducting the

study, while the study was in progress.

Out of respect for the thousands of women who have

suffered debilitating conditions from silicone

poisoning and have repeatedly been told it's " all in

your head, " I respectfully request that you obtain all

the facts on this issue. Should you have any questions

or need further information, please feel free to

contact me or Bliton of my staff at x

55261

Letter (2) from - Representative A. Traficant,

Jr. (OH)

Breast Implants: The Truth is Still Out There

June 11, 1996

Ohio

2445 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Colleague,

[ First paragraph is repeat of previous letter ]

Interestingly enough, unpublished preliminary findings

from a SECOND Harvard Nurses' Study found increased

incidence of rheumatoid arthritus in silicone breast

implant recipients. Furthermore, the SECOND study was

conducted using acceptable scientific methodology. The

following is a side-by-side comparison

Harvard Study #1 => [ see above (1) - (4) ]

Harvard Study #2 =>

(1) - Women surveyed were contacted recent as 1994

(2) - The majority of women were implanted during or

prior to the 1980's

(3) - Specifically surveys for connective tissue and

immunological disorders, as well as many other health

disorders.

(4) Study group of 400.000 women, the biggest study

group to date.

The preliminary interim data of the SECOND study

concludes that silicone breast implants are

" associated with increased risk of rheumatoid

arthritis " and that the data collected at the time the

preliminary report was written were " too sparse to

evaluate whether breast implants are associated with

risk of specific immunological diseases. The strength

of this analysis lies in its very large sample size " .

[ Last paragraph is repeat of previous letter ]

USSW NEWS

- P.O. Box 683, Mena, AR 71953

- Phone: (501) 394-3995

- Fax: (501) 394-3999

- ISSN 1097-5691

- Shirley Goodner: Editor / Publisher

- International Distribution: Scotland, England,

France Australia, Holland, Canada, New Zealand,

Belgium, Switzerland ) - OUR PURPOSE - To assist men,

women, and children with silicone and saline implants.

To educate all people on the facts concerning these

implantable medical devices. To help all people become

informed. To give survivors and their families

support, and to help women empower themselves in their

own healing process.