Are Silicone Breast Implants Back?
During the past 11 years, Dr. Ronald J. Johnson has participated in two national clinical trials on silicone breast implants. His work contributed to the findings released to a Federal Review Panel. This Federal review of more than 100 studies on the medical effects of silicone breast implants has concluded that the devices do not cause breast cancer. The study suggests that, if anything, implants may actually decrease the risk of breast cancer. Although the studies were consistent in finding a decreased breast cancer risk in women with implants, it is unclear whether this finding is related to the implants. A report on the Federal review is published in the September 17 issue of The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The report gives silicone breast implants a “clean bill of health” as far as breast cancer is concerned. S. Lori Brown of the Food and Drug Administration, a co-author of the review, said that the possibility of breast implants being linked to some types of connect
