Breast implants under siege: an historical commentary

Despite 3 decades of rapidly expanding application of polydimethylsiloxane as a relatively safe implantable biomaterial, the American public is being told by a vocal minority that its use in the breast implant may be dangerous. Most of the furor has been generated by consumer advocates with support of a handful of scientists who have expressed opinions, not well supported by facts, about the risks of these devices. These anxieties have been fueled in the public's mind by a media more interested in sensationalism than disciplined reporting. The controversy has complicated the regulatory process and has become politicized in the halls of State Legislatures and Congress. Remarkably, this controversy has not involved the many other biomedical applications of silicone. How has this controversy gathered momentum? What role has the government played and how have the professional, scientific, corporate, and patient communities responded to public concern? This discussion places the breast implant battle into an historical perspective.