No cancer link for silicone implants

Silicone breast implants do not affect the risk of cancer in women who have cosmetic surgery, according to a company-funded study released Tuesday. Smoking habits, weight and giving birth had a greater effect.

In one of the longest studies of cosmetic breast implants to date, scientists did find that women with the devices had an increased risk of lung cancer and a decreased rate of breast cancer compared with the general population, but neither result could be linked to the implants.

The study, which analyzed data from 3,486 Swedish women who first received implants from 1965 to 1993, was published Wednesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

It was funded by Dow Corning Corp., once the world’s largest maker of silicone gel breast implants before they were banned for most women in 1992. The company was not involved in conducting the study, the authors said.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering final approval for silicone implants made by other manufacturers.