Do breast implants affect screening tests used to detect breast cancer?
Breast implants may hide up to 25% of breast tissue from x-rays during a mammogram. A study funded by the National Cancer Institute found that mammograms missed 55% of breast cancers in women with breast implants as compared to 33% in women without implants. The technician performing the mammogram should know about the presence of breast implants so that they can use a special technique called “implant displacement views” and take care to avoid causing an implant to rupture. All women over 40, including women with breast implants, should receive a mammogram annually. For much more about mammograms and the other screening tests used to detect breast cancer, see our section on breast cancer screening.
