Brain cancer and cosmetic breast implants: a review of the epidemiologic evidence

Recently, the findings of 1 mortality follow-up study have raised concern regarding the risk of brain cancer among women with cosmetic breast implants. In this review, the authors examine the results of 4 existing large-scale incidence follow-up studies comprising more than 10,000 women with cosmetic implants followed for as long as 29 years. Overall, there were 12 observed incident cases of brain cancer compared with 9.6 cases expected, yielding a nonstatistically significant summary standardized incidence ratio of 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.7-2.2). Based on the confidence interval alone, this result rules out the standardized mortality ratio of 2.45 reported in the 1 positive mortality study. Overall, the epidemiologic evidence does not support an association between breast implants and brain cancer incidence.