When doing breast augmentation, know breast implants do have an effect on mammograms. Why do you care? The rate of breast cancer in the US is 1 in 8 (so 12.5% of all women will get breast cancer during their lifetime). Mammograms are still the gold standard for finding breast cancers. And there was a study which showed years ago a delay in breast cancer discovery in women with implants (HERE).
So when doing my recent CME, one of the answers was discussing this issue, and I thought it beared repeating here.
Does the position of the implant in front of the muscle (subglandular) or behind the muscle (subpectoral) matter?
- ANSWER: YES. Under the muscle is better for breast visualization on mammogram.
Does capsular contracture affect your visualization of the breast on mammogram?
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- ANSWER: YES. One study cited the single most important factor which limits breast visualization is capsular contracture of Baker III or IV. This can result in a 50% reduction in the ability to see the breast tissue. See my information on capsular contracture HERE.
Do you need additional views on mammogram when you have implants?
- ANSWER: YES. There is a special view called Eklund. This allows more tissue visualization than the standard compression.
Do you have a different breast cancer survival rate if you do / do not have implants?
- ANSWER: NO. Patients diagnosed with breast cancer have the same survival rate as those without implants.
Do patients with implants have a higher risk for getting breast cancer?
- ANSWER: NO. In fact, when doing epidemiologic studies since 1992, it has shown a lower risk of breast cancer with implants. Furthermore, women with implants do not have a later diagnosis or increased risk for recurrence. (Note: I think women with implants have a lower risk of breast cancer likely because they just don’t have as much breast tissue- that is why they wanted an augmentation in the first place.)
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or medical condition.