Excerpt

This report is a general review of past and ongoing research on silicone breast implants, including (1) what associations between breast implants and various diseases, if any, are suggested by existing experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies; (2) the nature and relative strength of these associations, (3) the quality of the studies; (4) the existence of plausible biological mechanisms to explain suggested associations between breast implants and disease; (5) the uncertainties associated with these kinds of analyses; and (6) suggestions for future research to fill in critical gaps. This report covers breast implants with a silicone shell, whether smooth, modified, or coated, and a gel or saline filler; local and systemic complications and manifestations of disease; and effects on mammographic screening and diagnosis and on the offspring of patients with breasts implants.