Early detection tests for breast cancer save many lives each year. Breast implants make it more difficult to see breast tissue on mammograms, but x-rays called implant displacement views (Eklund view) can be implemented to examine breast tissue in more detail.
The x-ray technician will attempt to displace the implant out of the image to get a better view of the breast tissue. Displacing the implant to the side can also protect it from the possibility of rupture. Anyone with a breast implant should do a breast self-exam every month to get to know the normal contours of her own breast. Scarring around an implant may create a hard texture, but you should not feel lumps.
Research into whether breast implants lead to a delay in breast cancer diagnosis has been inconsistent. Studies using standard mammograms have revealed no difference in the average time to detect breast cancer in women with breast implants as compared to those without breast implants. If you have silicone breast implants it is suggested you have an MRI every two years. Breast cancer screening guidelines are the same for all women, with or without breast implants. It is recommended every one to two years after age forty.
If you have questions about breast implants and breast cancer detection, please contact California cosmetic surgeons Wendell Smoot, M.D., F.A.C.S. and John Smoot, M.D., F.A.C.S. at Cosmetic Plastic Surgery today.
