California Mom's Desperate Effort To Remove Flawed Breast Implants She Got After Preventative Mastectomy: Her Eight Year Struggle & Expert Guidance For Women With Implants (2025)

Oceana Callum, a mom of two and English professor at Coastline College in Southern California, felt a whirlwind of emotions when she discovered that the textured breast implants she got put in after a preventative double mastectomy had been recalled.

Callum was 44-years-old at the time of the 2019 recall, which revealed the Allergan Natrelle textured breast implants she had were linked to a rare cancer known asbreast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).

By the recall date, Callum’s breast implants had been in her body for three years, where they stayed for another five years, until she was able to get them removed with the help of her insurance, thanks to a “folded implant and a sympathetic radiologist,” she explained in a recently published opinion piece for STAT News. RELATED: Here’s What We Know About Breast Implants and This Rare Type of Cancer

California Mom's Desperate Effort To Remove Flawed Breast Implants She Got After Preventative Mastectomy: Her Eight Year Struggle & Expert Guidance For Women With Implants (1)

Callum wasn’t able to have her breast implants removed once the recall was announced, as the FDA stated, “We are not recommending the routine removal of these or other types of breast implants in patients who have no symptoms.”

The FDA also recognized that the recall may prompt fear among anyone with breast implants or anyone planning on getting breast implants. Preemptively addressing these fears, the FDA reminded patients and providers that, while these confirmed cancer cases were enough to issue a recall, the number was still very low. And in the U.S., the statement noted, the specific type of textured implants, “macro-textured implants,” that have been linked to cancer only make up 5 percent of all breast implants.

Also, while many people think of the silicone or saline filling inside of a breast implant that makes it dangerous, it is important to know that the anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) risk is not linked with what’s inside the implant. Instead, it’s the textured exterior of the implant (which is meant to keep the implant secured in place rather than moving around within the breast) that has been the cancer risk factor.

As for Callum’s concerns about her own cancer risk, not only did her mom passed away at the age of 53 from metastatic breast cancer, but Callum was later found to have the BRCA-1 gene mutation which increases her cancer risk.

Knowing she had a gene mutation led her to find a tumor early on, and under go a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, preventative double mastectomy [removal of both breasts], following by breast reconstruction with the now-recalled implants, and a preventative oopherectomy [removal of one or both ovaries].

RELATED: Worldwide Recall for Textured Breast Implants — What Women Who Have Them Should Know About Their Cancer Risk

Callum initially learned she had the BRCA-1 mutation, a few years after her mom’s death in 1997. Additionally, certain populations, such as Ashkenazi Jews [which Callum’s family is on both sides] and those with Mediterranean roots, are more susceptible to the BRCA1 (BReast CAncer 1) or BRCA2 (BReast CAncer 2) genes.

“The genetic BRCA1 and (BRCA)2 mutations, if a woman has one of these mutations … it puts her at basically the highest quantifiable risk for getting breast cancer,” Dr. Elisa Port, a surgical oncologist at Mount Sinai, told SurvivorNet during an earlier interview.

“We typically say between the 60 (percent) and 80 percent range. Having a BRCA1 and (BRCA)2 mutation also means that that person is at higher risk of getting breast cancer at an earlier age, and also maybe at risk for other cancers like ovarian cancer, like pancreatic cancer for men, prostate cancer and male breast cancer may be a concern.”

As for how worried Callum felt amid the recall news, she tells SurvivorNet, “Like many women, I had to call my doctor to verify exactly which implants I had. When I found out mine were on the recall list, my heart hit the floor.

“I had been under the impression that I could finally rest a bit from constant vigilance against cancer risk.”

She also had to cope with the faulty breast implants for eight years, recounting, “It was similar to dealing with cancer itself: sometimes you dive right in and consider it head-on, what you would do if the worst happened, and other times you just try to forget about it.

“One maddening remark that I heard more than once from plastic surgeons is that BIA-ALCL (the form of lymphoma caused by breast implants) is ‘easy to catch,’ and patients ‘often don’t even need chemo,’ as though that would ease my mind!”

RELATED: More Cases Of Skin Cancer in People With Breast Implants: Do You Need to Get Yours Removed?

She also writes in her STAT News piece, “The FDA’s and many insurers’ decision not to support ‘routinely’ removing potentially hundreds of thousands of no-longer-wanted implants is thinly veiled in a risk-versus-reward calculus for the patient. But with the Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, breast reconstruction was finally recognized for its potential to improve mental health outcomes in breast cancer survivors who want the surgery.

“Insurers are required to cover it. Now it’s time to recognize the converse: For many cancer survivors, potentially carcinogenic implant removal is, obviously, integral to our peace of mind. Having a ticking time bomb in one’s body is, ironically, to be imprisoned in the same situation from which many of us struggled brutally to be freed. Whether the risk of BIA-ALCL is extremely rare is, in our case, not just beside, but beneath, above, adjacent to, and opposite the point.”

We certainly admire Callum’s willingness to share her journey and help empower other women like herself to do what’s best when it comes to taking control of their health.

If you have breast implants or are planning to get this type of reconstructive surgery in the future, you may now be curious as to whether you should have your implants removed or not follow through with the procedure.

Dr. Sarah P. Cate, who is also the Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, previously told SurvivorNet that if you already have implants, you don’t have to run out and immediately remove your implants. You should continue recommended screenings and follow-up appointments with your plastic surgeon.

Dr. Andrea Pusic On Breast Reconstruction Options After A Mastectomy

“ASPS (the American Plastic Surgery Society) issues periodic updates regarding implants,” Dr. Cate said in a recent interview. “They have their own registry of patients with these types of cancer. Patients can request their implants to be removed if they are concerned. They can also check to see if they have textured implants, which are associated with lymphoma.”

More On Breast Implants

  • All Breast Implants Should Come With Detailed Safety Warnings, Urges FDA — What The Experts Say About the Risks
  • Breast Reconstruction: Implants vs. Your Own Tissue
  • Breast Implants That May Cause Cancer– The FDA’s Meeting About Safety Concerns
  • France Becomes First Country To Ban “Textured” Breast Implants Linked To Cancer
  • More Cases Of Skin Cancer in People With Breast Implants: Do You Need to Get Yours Removed?
  • Here’s What We Know About Breast Implants and This Rare Type of Cancer

Breast Implants & Cancer

Questions surrounding whether breast implants themselves cause cancer have remained for years. Two years ago, the FDA released safety communication regarding the potential risks of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and lymphoma, a type of cancer that starts in the lymphatic system.

SCC is among the most common types of skin cancer.Accordingto theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, squamous cells are “thin, flat cells that form the top layer of the epidermis.” This skin cancer type isn’t life-threatening and grows slowly,accordingto theAmerican Academy of Dermatology Association.

The FDA’s safety communication indicated it received ten medical device reports about squamous cell carcinoma. A medical device reporting is a method the FDA uses to collect and analyze data about a marketed device scientifically. The federal agency says it also received 12 reports about varying types of lymphomas related to breast implants.

The reportstatesthat the FDA is aware of 19 cases of SCC in the capsule around the breast implant from published literature,” noting the information includes the FDA’s review of medical literature and reports. “There have been reports in the literature of deaths from progression of the disease. While the FDA continues to believe that occurrences of SCC in the capsule around the breast implant may be rare, the cause, incidence, and risk factors remain unknown.”

The warning follows previous reports of SCC and various lymphomas (cancer of the immune system) related to breast implants. The various lymphomas noted differ from those previously described by the FDA as Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).

The FDA pinpointed textured implant manufacturer Allergan to remove some of its textured breast implants and tissue expanders from the market amid its report.

“Based on the currently available information, including data submitted in 2019, our analysis demonstrates that the risk of BIA-ALCL with Allergan BIOCELL textured implants is approximately six times the risk of BIA-ALCL with textured implants from other manufacturers marketing in the U.S.,” an FDA spokesperson wrote to SurvivorNet in an email. Acompletelistof recalledstyles can be found via the FDA’s website.

RELATED: All Breast Implants Should Come With Detailed Safety Warnings, Urges FDA What The Experts Say About the Risks

Information About BIA-ALCL

BIA-ALCL is a rare and highly treatable cancer of the immune system and is not a breast cancer. According to theFDA, “In most cases, [the cancer] is found in the scar tissue and fluid near the implant, but in some cases, it can spread throughout the body.”

Symptoms include pain, redness and swelling around the implant or breast area.

For anyone who develops BIA-ALCL, taking quick action is critical.

Dr. Leslie L. Popplewell, a hematologist and oncologist at City of Hope, also previously spoke with SurvivorNet, advising, “When the diagnosis is made, it is important to remove the implant as well as that capsular material. Often no additional treatment is required, especially if it is caught early.”

For those who have no symptoms and elect to have their implants taken out and exchanged for smooth implants, “it’s a very straightforward procedure,” Dr. Niamey Pender Wilson, director, Breast Surgery Quality & Research at Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute, told SurvivorNet, which could take approximately one to two hours.

“It’s removing scar tissue around the capsule and placing the new one in a different plane.”

Doctors Weigh In On Breast Implant Concerns

In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Sarah Cate, the lead physician for the Special Surveillance Breast Program at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, and Dr. Jordan Jacobs, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, discussed breast implant concerns for survivors of breast cancer, following the release of an FDA safety communication. The FDA received 10 medical device reports (MDRs) about squamous cell carcinoma and 12 reports about various lymphomas connected to breast implants.

Doctors Cate and Jacobs tell SurvivorNet, regarding the FDA safety communication, “personally don’t think there is cause for alarm.”

The doctors believe the data shared by the FDA does not conclusively tie breast cancer to implants. Although, the pair does say, “the fact that the cancers were found in the implant capsules is certainly concerning and requires further investigation.”

Dr. Cate and Dr. Jacobs note how the FDA has required the placement of warnings on breast implant packaging. Additionally, there is newly an implant checklist that patients must sign and review before undergoing implant surgery. The doctors noted how ALCL, a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has been associated with implants for years.

The doctors affirmed that textured implants, those linked to ALCL, are not used at Mount Sinai. The doctors also note that implants require monitoring, and that if there are an adverse conditions spotted after the implants, they should be reported to the FDA.

Saline vs. Silicone Implants

Dr. Cate and Dr. Jacobs tell SurvivorNet, “Patients who have implants placed for either cosmetic or reconstructive purposes should have yearly follow-ups with their surgeons.” They add that “there are recommendations from the FDA for routine (every 2-3 years) MRIs to evaluate the integrity of the implant and the surrounding capsule.”

It’s important to note that most women who get breast implants do not get the textured kind that’s linked to cancer. The more popular option is “smooth” implants, which are usually filled with either silicone or saline. Unlike textured implants, smooth ones have not been linked to cancer. However, smooth implants have previously had potential complications reported in the past, such as joint pain, muscle aches, confusion, chronic fatigue, and autoimmune diseases.

“The use of any foreign object in the human body has potential risks,”Dr. Dung Nguyen, Director of Breast Reconstruction at Stanford Medicine, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

“Some are rare and are not known until years after they are in clinical use. It is our professional responsibility to inform our patients of these risks and any changes to them as our experience with the device broadens. The goal is not to cause a mass scare, but to provide evidence-based information in a relatable way so that women can make educated decisions about the use of breast implants for themselves.”

It’s important to note that the medical community has a consensus that women between 45 and 54 have annual mammograms. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) says that women should start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered the age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives. For women aged 55 and older, the American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

When Should You Be Concerned About Your Implants?

Moreover, there are signs of cancer that Dr. Cate and Dr. Jacobs want people with breast implants to keep an eye out for. If anyone with implants present the following symptoms, they should contact their physician:

  • Breast swelling
  • Pain
  • Redness
  • Tightening
  • A change in the shape of their breasts

If you do find yourself in a situation where an evaluation of your implants is needed, you will undergo a physical exam and imaging studies “to evaluate the implant shell integrity, determine if there is fluid around the implant and visualize the implant capsule.” Most breast radiologists can perform sampling fluid, as well, so that the fluid can be examined to see if there are any abnormal cells present.

RELATED: Regretting Her Breast Implants, Baywatch Star Says The Enlargement Made It Harder To Detect Her Breast Cancer

“Surgical management includes removal of the implant and the surrounding capsule, which is sent to pathology to rule out atypical cells and/or cancer,” Dr. Cate and Dr. Jacobs added.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Danielle Cinone is a writer at SurvivorNet. Read More

California Mom's Desperate Effort To Remove Flawed Breast Implants She Got After Preventative Mastectomy: Her Eight Year Struggle & Expert Guidance For Women With Implants (2025)

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