Bravo Daphne! Approving implants ‘not OK’

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Approving implants 'not OK'

MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER FILE PHOTO Daphne on says she's been suffering health effects from silicone breast implants for years.

By Grant GrangerNewsLeaderOct 26 2006

A Burnaby woman isn't going to give up the fight against silicone-gel breast implants despite Health Canada giving its OK to them last Friday.

Daphne on campaigned last year against an application by two American firms – Inamed and Mentor – to approve bringing back the controversial implants that were banned in 1992. Only saline implants have been allowed since then.

on had picketed then federal health minister Ujjal Dosanjh's Vancouver office as well as Health Canada's Vancouver office last September when forums were being held in Ottawa to discuss the applications. She had silicone implants in 1974 and got sick almost immediately. Later, on developed uterine cancer and gave up careers in hotel management and hairdressing because of a string of illnesses she blames on the implants.

"I will never stop," vowed ton. "To me it doesn't make any difference.

"I can keep writing letters, I can keep informing women and the more women that are informed hopefully they'll start asking the right questions."

In approving the implants, Health Canada said it had reviewed several documents and comprehensive studies before concluding there wasn't any evidence silicone implants cause other health problems. Organizations such as the Breast Implant Line of Canada, which has a class-action lawsuit pending against Health Canada, disagree.

"I'm not surprised or impressed with Health Canada anyway since they haven't listened to their advisory panel," said on.

Bloc Quebecois MP Demers put a motion before the House of Commons health committee on Monday calling for Health Canada to appear before the committee to explain their decision and for the organization to provide all of the studies and research Health Canada considered in making its decision as well as a list of all the researchers consulted. It's a motion supported by the NDP, including on's MP, as well.

"We need to be absolutely sure of the safety especially when we've had such a terrible experience with them in the past," said Bill Siksay (Burnaby-). "So there's no excuse for them not doing a full inquiry and being absolutely clear about the reasons for the decision. We can't put these things back in people's bodies without having full confidence in them, and I think we're still some ways away from that, if we ever get there.

"It's particularly concerning when the United States continued the ban on breast implants after a study last year. Health Canada says it has more up-to-date information and we're all anxious to know what that up-to-date information could be because it seems such a dramatic departure from the decisions made in the States."

After a great deal of picketing and persistence, on was able to get an audience with Dosanjh but he said it was up to Health Canada to decide. But that organization wouldn't talk to her. Dosanjh's successor as health minister, Conservative Tony Clement, hasn't made much comment either which doesn't surprise Siksay since the lawsuit is pending.

on and Siksay are proponents of the establishment of a long-term registry of those who have had the implants for easy access for researchers.

"The folks who've actually had the problems need to be the ones that actually have a clear voice in this," said Siksay. ?They're the people that have to be convinced before we ever put them back in women's bodies again."

"If there's such a low risk," asks on, "why don't they get a registry going to see what the risks are?"

on is also alarmed about an extensive joint Canadian study reporting a 73 per cent higher rate of suicide among women implants than the general population.

Recently, Mentor hit the news in the United States for allegations of misrepresenting safety data. The Mentor scientist who made the allegations was fired. He provided the info to the FDA

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www.BreastImplantAwareness.org