Twenty women in the UK are taking legal action after they developed a rare cancer that has possibly been linked to breast implants.
Textured implants are thought to cause breast implant-associated lymphoma.
More than 50 women have been diagnosed with the condition in the UK, with hundreds more suffering worldwide.
Many are taking legal action against both their doctors and the implants’ manufacturers to cover removal surgery, as well as personal injury and ‘distress’.
The pharma giant Allergan has already issued a worldwide recall of some of its textured implants.
The long-term safety of breast implants is unclear, prompting one surgeon to say women are being used as ‘guinea pigs’.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) estimates one in every 24,000 implants sold could trigger the rare form of cancer.
Twenty women in the UK are taking legal action after they developed a rare cancer that has been linked to textured breast implants (pictured). The ‘rough’ surface is thought to trigger a reaction that causes a disease called breast implant-associated lymphoma
At least 688 cases of BIA-ALCL had been diagnosed worldwide by March, according to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
The number is believed to be much higher in reality, with the US’s Food and Drug Administration reporting 660 cases and nine deaths by September last year, and Australian authorities recording 78 cases and four deaths so far.
In the UK alone, 57 confirmed cases were diagnosed after 2012, the MHRA confirmed. At least one women died.
Among other expenses, the women taking legal action want the cost of their initial surgery paid for, with some also seeking compensation for ‘potential financial loss’ as a result of the procedure.
Their lawyer Zahra Nanji, of the personal injury firm Leigh Day, told the BBC: ‘I really do believe strongly the manufacturers, producers and distributors of these implants need to take responsibility.’
The firm is building a civil court claim against Allergan for around 250 women.
Although not all have developed cancer, some feel they should not have to pay to have their implants removed given the risks.
Consultant plastic surgeon Professor James Frame claims there is not enough information about the potential risks of breast implants.
This leaves doctors unable to communicate the complications to patients.
He added women in the UK are not being ‘appropriately warned that breast implants are not for life, necessarily’.
‘There are unknowns with any implant, but it does mean we are using our entire population as human guinea pigs, almost,’ he said.
The MHRA, which regulates medical devices in the UK, is collecting data on the number of women who have developed breast implant associated-anaplastic large cell lymphoma.
When combining both textured implants and other types of the prosthesis, it estimates one in every 24,000 sold puts a woman at risk of lymphoma.
The MHRA issued a statement last month saying it is ‘essential’ surgeons warn patients who are looking to have the surgery of the potential risks.
Nonetheless, breast implants undergo a rigorous risk assessment before they can be used, it added.
Women who have textured implants should consult their doctor if they have any concerns, the MHRA said.
France banned four types of textured breast implants in April. These implants were made by the pharma companies Allergan, Eurosilicone, Nagor and Polytech.
The French agency for the safety of health products, ANSM, also refused to renew the European certification, CE mark, for the implants made by Allergan.
However, other brands still have textured implants on the market in the UK.
One source, who has worked in the industry for more than a decade, previously told MailOnline texturing is used more than 90 per cent of the time.
However, different companies may describe texturing differently, which makes it difficult to keep track of the implants being used.
The MHRA did not reveal what types of implants caused the recorded BIA-ALCL cases due to commercial confidentiality.
But it did confirm all have been described as ‘micro textured, macro textured or polyurethane coated’ by their own manufacturers.
Dr Roberto Viel, a veteran plastic surgeon who runs the London Centre for Aesthetic Surgery on Harley Street, stopped using the implants before BIA-ALCL surfaced.
‘I stopped using macrotextured implants quite a few years ago and personally I would not go back,’ he previously told MailOnline.
‘I used them in the past but I changed because I wanted to use better technology.
‘Using them now would be like going back to the past, but other surgeons are free to use what they want. I want to use the safest for my patient.’
Allergan’s products have also been recalled in Canada and the Australian government is considering a wider ban on textured implants.
Authorities in the UK and US, however, claim they have reviewed the evidence and deened there is not a strong enough case to stop the implants being used.
A spokesperson for the MHRA said: ‘While most cases of BIA-ALCL have been reported in patients with textured implants, there is currently not enough scientific evidence of a causal relationship specifically between textured implants and BIA-ALCL.’
A spokesperson from Allergan said patient safety is a priority and it will continue to ‘invest’ in increasing awareness of BIA-ALCL.
The company voluntarily recalled its Biocell saline- and silicone-filled textured breast implants and tissue expanders. The latter is a balloon-like device that stretches the skin to make room for an implant.
Consultant plastic surgeon Professor James Frame (pictured) claims there is not enough information about the potential risks of breast implants. He added confusion over the procedure’s long-term safety means women are being treated like ‘guinea pigs’
CANCER SUFFERER, 50, ‘THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DIE’ AFTER DEVELOPING CANCER FROM HER BREAST IMPLANTS
A cancer sufferer ‘thought she was going to die’ after she developed cancer from her breast implants.
Linzy Bromfield paid to have her chest taken from a cup size B to D in 2005.
The operation seemed to go to plan until, 13 years later in 2016, the mother-of-two noticed her right breast was too swollen to fit in a bra.
Ms Bromfield later had to have her breast drained and was diagnosed with implant-associated lymphoma.
‘I was angry and hurt,’ she told the BBC. ‘I was worried I was going to die.’
Ms Bromfield had both implants removed, with no further treatment being required. She has been disease-free since.
Linzy Bromfield (pictured) ‘thought she was going to die’ after she developed cancer from her breast implants. She was diagnosed when her right breast became swollen