Diana Zuckerman dz@center4research.org

Dear Friends,

The new "mantra" from plastic surgeons is that there are more than 100 studies done on the effects of silicone breast implants in the body, and none show any problems. See quote from recent TV coverage of Pam Dowd, below.

This quote is coming from a document that the implant makers are circulating. Needless to say, it is false.

The best designed epidemiological studies all indicate a link between breast augmentation with implants and serious health risks, including a National Cancer Institute study that reported a doubling of brain cancer, a tripling of lung cancer, and a quadrupling of suicide, compared to other plastic surgery patients. An FDA study found an increase of fibromyalgia and other connective tissue diseases among women with leaking breast implants compared to women whose implants were not leaking. An excellent study conducted by Aleina Tweed when she was at the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, found that women with breast augmentation were more likely to be hospitalized and used more medical services than comparable women without implants.

There are dozens of studies purporting to show "no problems" but they are all funded by Dow Corning. Most of the studies are badly designed. Others show problems but seem to ignore them. For example, a recent Danish study of women who had implants for an average of 19 years, purports to prove that implants are safe. In fact, the study found that women with implants were significantly more likely to report fatigue, Raynaud-like symptoms (white fingers and toes when exposed to cold), and memory loss and other cognitive symptoms, compared to breast reduction patients or women in the general population. Two-thirds of the women had moderate to severe capsular contracture, and 18% reported chronic breast pain. A reasonable person would not call these findings "proof of safety."

"Dowd says her own experience is proof positive of the dangers they pose and she says under no circumstance should the implants be available to anyone. "It is my belief that there is no such thing as a safe breast implant," said Dowd.

Doctor Kramer respectfully disagrees. He says there have been more than 100 studies done on the effects of silicon implants in the body. "The bottom line is that there was no cause and effect relationship between either the presence of a gel implant or a ruptured implant causing what they were alleged to cause in the early 90's such as auto-immune diseases."

Best wishes,

Diana

www.center4research.org