Here's Why Butt Implants Are More Dangerous Than You Think

Butt implants might be more dangerous than we think. A 49-year-old woman with rear implants was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that was previously only linked to breast implants.

A report published Feb. 15 in Aesthetic Surgery Journal links a type of cancer called anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) to buttock implants for the first time. ALCL is a form of lymphoma or immune system cell cancer.

According to the report, the woman got gluteal textured implants around a year before she was diagnosed with cancer. She developed ulceration on the skin around her butt implants. Imaging tests also revealed that there was fluid around the implants.

The cancer spread to the woman's lungs and other parts of her body, and she died several months after she was diagnosed despite aggressive chemotherapy. Prior to her death, an examination of a mass in her lung showed "hallmark" cells of ALCL, according to the report.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified over 450 cases of ALCL caused by breast implants in the past eight years. According to the FDA, the cancer usually develops in women who received textured breast implants.

The authors wrote in the report that this latest case helps support the theory that textured implants are the main root of the problem. "[The] case helps to demonstrate that many textured implants could potentially be [a] risk [factor] for ALCL and that in general, the discussion should move from 'breast implant-associated cancer' to 'implant-associated [cancer],' to better encompass the full spectrum of disease," the researchers wrote.

The authors, however, emphasized that it has not been proven that the butt implants actually caused the woman's cancer, but the case only showed a connection between textured implants and ALCL. The doctors noted that the patient's cancer had been very aggressive, developing just 12 months after she received her implants. In previous cases, ALCL only occurred about 10 years after women got breast implants.

But though this may only be the first case, the authors of the study insisted that medical professionals should "recognize that patients with textured silicone implants other than breast implants may also be at risk of ALCL." People who are considering getting butt implants, particularly the textured kind, need to be informed of the possible risks and complications, the researchers said.

The authors also wrote that they hoped more studies would be conducted to prove the link between ALCL and implants in the future.