When talking to patients about a rare type of cancer linked to breast implants, should plastic surgeons call it "conditions" and avoid using the word cancer, tumor, disease or malignancy, Chairman of the American Society of plastic surgeons advised members in an online seminar on 3 feb.
Comments made by Dr. Phil Haeck, society President, published on Thursday by the public citizen Health Research Group, an advocacy group in Washington. The Group also wrote to the Food and Drug Administration, characterizing advice as part of a campaign of misinformation is scheduled to play down the risks of implants and urging health officials to put an end to it.
Dr. Haeck was traveling and unavailable for an interview, according to a spokesman for the plastic surgeons group, a statement in response to public citizen's claims.
Surgeons ' group said public citizen had taken Dr. Haeck remarks of context and misinterpreted them; he discussed a possible link between implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma or ALCL, a cancer which means that the immune system.
The statement said, in part, "far from intending to trivialise or minimize this problem, Dr. Haeck tempore remarks were well understood by doctors present that type of ALCL observed in possible association with breast implants do not seem to have malignant course of classical ALCL is a systemic disease."
Events that grew out of a message on Jan. 26 by the Food and Drug Administration that breast implants can cause a small but significant increase of lymphoma, which is uncommon but treatable. It is not breast cancer. It is usually a systemic disease, but in those cases associated with the implants, grew Lymphoma in the chest, usually in the capsule of scar tissue around the implant.
Although some evidence suggests that Lymphoma associated with the implants may be less aggressive than the more common form of the disease, that evidence is not convincing, "said Dr. William Maisel, the first scientist and Deputy Director for Science at the Center for devices and radiological health to the Food and Drug Administration.
The disease is very rare. At the time of the announcement January said drug agency it knew only about 60 cases worldwide, a small number compared to 5 to 10 million women have implants. But even that small number appear to be an excess of cases compared to the regular presence in the breast of this type of lymphoma in women who do not have implants: 3 in 100 million.
In some cases, simply remove the implants and scarring appeared to eliminate disease, but other women received chemotherapy or radiation, or both.
Online Seminar, about an hour long, was available only to members of the American Society of plastic surgeons and the American Society for aesthetic plastic surgery. About 600 members logged in. Plastic surgeon who saw the session made a transcript of part of it and sent them to public citizen. New York Times showed the seminar and verified that Dr. Haeck enlighten the audience to call Lymphoma "conditions" when talking to patients ' rather than to disrupt them by saying that this is a cancer, it is a malignancy. "
The physician transcript said in an interview that he did so because he was disturbed by the advice to avoid calling for lymphoma, a type of cancer, and considered that the plastic surgeons society was misleading its members who in turn can mislead his patients. He asked that his name be withheld because he did not want to make enemies of their colleagues by contributing to the bad news about implants.
Food and Drug Administration issued a statement saying the review public citizens ' letters and added: "in F.D.A. has been very clear in our communications possible association between breast implants and the development of ALCL, which is a very rare type of cancer. It is important that health professionals and women who have breast implants, or considering breast implants are aware F.D.A. 's recommendations on this matter. "
The Agency has said that women with implants should pay attention to changes in their breasts and see a physician if swelling, lumps, pain, asymmetry or other symptoms develop. Lymphoma can occur years after implant surgery.
Dr. Felmont Eaves III, Chairman of the American Society for aesthetic plastic surgery, said: "when the numbers are so extremely rare that this danger is sometimes an overreaction. We want to ensure that women and surgeons put it in the right perspective. "
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