Breast implants may cause a small but significant increase in the risk of an extremely rare but treatable type of cancer , the Food and Drug Administration said on Wednesday. 
 
 The risk applies to both saline- and silicone-filled implants, and to all women who have them, whether for reconstruction after cancer surgery or for cosmetic enlargement of the breasts. 
 
 The cancer, anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, involves the immune system. It is not breast cancer. It is usually a systemic disease, but in the cases linked to implants, the lymphoma grew in the breast, usually in the capsule of scar tissue that formed around the implant. The cases were discovered because women developed symptoms long after they had healed from the implant surgery — lumps, pain, asymmetry of the breasts, fluid buildup and swelling. 
 
 In some cases simply removing the implant and scar tissue gets rid of the disease, but some women might need chemotherapy and radiation, said Dr. William Maisel, the chief scientist and deputy director for science in the drug agency’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. He said there was some evidence, though not conclusive, that the form of this lymphoma found in implant patients was less aggressive than the usual type. 
 
 So far, the drug agency said it knew of about 60 cases worldwide, a tiny number compared with the 5 million to 10 million women who have implants. But even that small number appears to be an excess of cases when compared with the usual incidence of the disease: This type of lymphoma in the breast is normally found in only 3 in 100 million women who do not have implants. 
 
 Because the risk appears to be so small, the drug agency said, “the existing data support the continued marketing and use of breast implants.” But it also said that women considering implants should first discuss the information with their doctors. 
 
 Women with implants who have no symptoms do not need to do anything special or change their routine health care, Dr. Maisel said. But they should pay attention to any changes and see a doctor if swelling, lumps or other symptoms develop. 
 
 Because there is very little data on the lymphoma, Dr. Maisel said, the agency “is not comfortable recommending a specific treatment.” Cases may differ, and women who have the disease need to be treated by a breast surgeon and an oncologist. 
 
 The worldwide market for breast implants is roughly $820 million a year and growing at 8 percent a year, according to industry figures. 
 
 The Food and Drug Administration said it needed more data and was asking doctors to report confirmed cases to its safety information program, MedWatch. Dr. Maisel said the agency was working with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons to create a registry of cases. He also said that information about the possible link to the cancer would be added to the labeling information sent out with implants. 
 
 Dr. Maisel said it was not yet known for sure whether the implants really increase the risk of the cancer, or how they could do so. 
 
 “We do know that both silicone and saline implants are surrounded by silicone,” he said, adding that silicone has been found in cells around breast implants and may stimulate the cells and induce lymphoma in rare cases. But he added, “Please understand that is speculative and a hypothesis.” 
 
 A spokeswoman for Allergan, which makes implants, sent a statement by e-mail saying that the company supported the drug agency’s recommendations. But the statement also said: “Reports of ALCL in patients with breast implants are extremely rare and are not to be mistaken for breast cancer. A woman is more likely to be struck by lightning than get this condition.” 
 
 Another implant maker, Mentor, did not respond to a telephone message asking for comment on the drug agency announcement. 
 
 A medical group, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, issued a statement saying it supported the development of a registry for the cancer cases in women with implants, but added that implants were “the most studied device in medical history” and were safe. ||||| The Food and Drug Administration is reviewing a possible link between breast implants and a form of cancer.The federal agency said on Wednesday that 13 years of research citing 34 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) in breast implant patients has shown that individuals who undergo the procedure "may have a very small but increased risk of developing" the disease."But with an estimated 5 to 10 million breast implant recipients worldwide, agency experts say the known ALCL cases are too few to say conclusively that breast implants cause the disease," the statement added Surge Desk offers a quick list of three other common hazards associated with breast implants.Breast augmentation surgery holds the same risks of most other common operations, including seroma and hematoma (fluid and blood build-up). Adverse reaction to anesthesia is a rare occurrence but also a common concern.Ruptured implants are one of the most common health hazards associated with breast augmentation due to the likelihood of leaking silicone, therefore most experts conclude that implants in such cases should be removed as soon as possible. The FDA explains that "capsular contracture occurs when the scar tissue or capsule that normally forms around the implant tightens and squeezes the implant." The condition commonly requires re-operation and, along with ruptured implants, is one of the most common concerns associated with silicone-gel-filled and saline-filled breast implants.
– Breast implants have been linked to an extremely rare but treatable cancer, the New York Times reports. It's called anaplastic large-cell lymphoma, and in these cases, it usually forms in the scar tissue around the implant. The link was seen in saline and silicone implants, and in both reconstructive implants for breast cancer sufferers and in cosmetic surgeries. The good news: Only about 60 cases have been reported worldwide—out of 5 million to 10 million women with implants. Given the rarity of the condition, the FDA said implants are still safe, though women considering them should factor it into their decision. One manufacturer of implants said "a woman is more likely to be struck by lightning than get this condition.” Most women diagnosed reported symptoms—including lumps, fluid buildup, pain, and swelling—long after they had healed from surgery. (Click for other health risks associated with implants.)