French national agency for safety of medicines and medical products, ANSM, has asked pharmaceutical company Allergan to recall its Microcell and Biocell breast implants amid concerns that they might be linked to cancer risks.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) French national agency for safety of medicines and medical products, ANSM, has asked pharmaceutical company Allergan to recall its Microcell and Biocell breast implants amid concerns that they might be linked to cancer risks.French media reported in November that these implants may have been linked to a rare type of cancer attacking lymph nodes.
"The ANSM was informed today [December 18] that the medical devices of Microcell and Biocell ranges of Allergan brand ... no longer had CE [European Conformity] approval starting from December 17 ... The ANSM asked Allergan company today to recall the products currently in stock from all medical institutions," the watchdog said Tuesday.
GMED, the French medical device certification agency, has refused to give its stamp of approval, asking the company for additional information.
Anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL) can manifest within seven-eight years after implants are put in, plastic surgeon Dmitry Melnikov, a Russian representative of the International Collaboration of Breast Registry Activities (ICOBRA), told Sputnik.
"Cancer cells appear in layers adjacent to the implant (capsule). Cancer can usually be cured when implant and capsule are removed. However, there have been cases of metastatic ALCL leading to death," Melnikov said.
The surgeon added that there have long been suspicions about this type of cancer having links to breast implants with a certain texture, so he was not using them in his work.
Melnikov stressed that all people with breast implants should attend checkups annually and ask the doctor if they see any unusual lumps or discharges.
