Saline vs. Silicone and impacts on mammography

[Guest guest]

This page has a place to make comments! . . . Rogene======================================http://www.rep-am.com/story.php?id=9569Saline vs. silicone and impacts on mammography Tuesday, July 11, 2006 Copyright © 2006 Republican-American Before 1992, saline- and silicone-filled breast implants were available. Both types have silicone shells, but one is filled with silicone gel, and the other with saline, or sterile salt water. Saline-filled implants are believed to be safer since a rupture or leak means salt water, not silicone gel, would be released into the body. When manufacturers of silicone breast implants were unable to provide sufficient safety data about the harm of this happening, the FDA imposed restrictions. Since then, silicone implants have only been used in controlled clinical studies, reconstruction after a mastectomy, correction of congenital problems and

replacement of ruptured silicone implants. The FDA is expected to soon lift the ban on silicone implants, after studies have shown no link between incident of cancer and the implants. Breast implants decrease the ability of mammography to detect breast cancer, according to a study from the Center for Health Studies. Mammography missed breast cancer 55 percent of the time in women with implants, and 33 percent of the time among women without them. Even though mammography does not find cancer as well in women with implants, this does not mean more advanced cancers at diagnosis, the study said. Overall, researchers suggest that it may be easier for women with implants to detect cancer mammography missed because they have less of their own breast tissue, and a more firm platform to press against, making it easier to feel lumps. -- MacMillan, Republican-American