[Silicone gel-filled breast implants and breast cancer--an update and safety]

Silicone gel-filled breast implants have long been an important method of breast reconstruction and breast augmentation. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), implemented a voluntary but strongly urged moratorium on the sale and use of silicone gel-filled breast implants. This was due to previous anecdotal reports regarding possible health hazards associated with these types of implants, including the emergence of breast cancer. The FDA allowed the use of silicone gel-filled breast implants for post-mastectomy reconstruction, and also in a small number of breast augmentation patients who were willing to enroll in a long-term prospective study. In this article, we review the current available literature that failed to produce any evidence associating the use of silicone breast implants with the increased risk of breast cancer.