In 2011, the FDA identified a link between breast implants and the development of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a rare type of non-Holdgkin’s lymphoma.
A 2016 paper published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal suggests that chronic inflammation could play a role.
Some studies have found markers of chronic inflammation contained in the scar tissue around breast implants, which may suggest that an immune response to the implants could trigger the cancer.
According to the FDA, women with breast implants have an increased risk of developing ALCL compared to those who do not have breast implants.
Researchers are still working to discover how breast implants may be linked to ALCL.