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Most people are aware that there are some risks when it comes to getting breast implants – like scarring and infection, to name a few.

But now, a new NBC News report points out that there’s one more thing people should consider: Breast implants may be linked to a certain type of cancer.

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), is a rare type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a.k.a., cancer of the immune system), according to the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In most situations, BIA-ALCL is found in the scar tissue and fluid near the implant, but in some cases, it can spread throughout a person’s body.

The good news? BIA-ALCL is rare and easily curable, says Dr Richard J Bleicher, a professor at the department of surgical oncology at Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Hold on, tell me more about this cancer.

The FDA actually identified a possible link between breast implants and cancer in 2011 – though at the time, the risk was considered to be extremely low. “Years ago… it was thought that the incidence was one in a million,” says Dr Bleicher. “However, as awareness has grown, and a registry developed, the data noting this has been updated and the incidence is now felt to be higher.”

Years later, in 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated BIA-ALCL as a “T-cell lymphoma that can develop following breast implants,” per the FDA.

As of September 2017, the FDA says it has received 414 reports of BIA-ALCL, including among nine patients who died. This indicates that while the cancer is still very rare, it may be slightly more common than experts once thought.

The FDA also notes that BIA-ALCL occurs more frequently in breast implants with textured surfaces rather than smooth (it’s thought that a textured surface cuts down on breast implant movement, per NBC). Though, per the FDA, there’s no greater risk for silicone versus saline breast implants.

Also of note: Nearly half of the reported cases of cancer were diagnosed within seven to eight years of someone receiving implants. Still, “the risk of this remains low,” Dr Bleicher says. “A woman having breast implants should be aware of the symptoms, but not be overly concerned.” He also points out that plastic surgeons at his organisation “who place at least 160 implants a year have also never seen a case.”

Read more: 8 breast cancer myths you need to stop believing

Well, what are the symptoms of BIA-ALCL?

They’re pretty easy to spot: The main symptoms are persistent swelling or pain in the vicinity of the breast implant, per the FDA.

During an exam, doctors will usually see fluid collected around the implant (called a seroma). Some patients also say that they feel a lump under their skin or see a thick and noticeable scar capsule around the implant.

“If women notice enlargement or swelling of the breast, or ulceration of the breast, especially more than one year after the implant placement, it becomes important to bring this to your surgeon’s attention,” Bleicher says.

Read more: Exactly what to do if you notice a lump in your breast

So, should I have my implants removed, just to be safe?

Not according to the FDA, which recommends doctors continue to give patients routine care and support (like check-ups and monitoring when something seems off).

“Because it has generally only been identified in patients with symptoms such as pain, lumps, swelling, or asymmetry that occur after the surgical incision has fully healed, breast implant removal in patients without symptoms or other abnormality is not recommended,” the FDA says.

“Although we don’t like the idea of development of cancer no matter how rare, fortunately, the likelihood of developing these is very low,” Dr Bleicher says. “There have been rare cases of women who have developed ALCL and died from it, but most cases of ALCL, as uncommon as it is, are treatable and many localised just to the area around the implant which is typically curable simply by removing the capsule around the implant with the implant itself. Women should definitely not panic.”

The bottom line: If you have breast implants and notice swelling, pain or a lump around your breast, see a doctor ASAP. Otherwise, you probably don’t need to worry.

^{This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Have you ever told a friend they should break up their relationship because they were so clearly miserable, but now they’re married to their partner and neither of them speak to you? The truth is, you can’t be told when it’s time to end your relationship; it’s a personal decision you have to make on your own.

So when it’s your turn to consider whether or not it’s time to end your current situation, that choice has to come from you. But how do you know if it’s time?

Read more: These 5 adventurous activities will improve your relationship

“The decision to end the relationship or not depends on what we are expecting,” says Lawrence Siegel, clinical psychologist. “What have we been getting from this relationship in terms of what we want, what we can tolerate, and what is a deal breaker? The simplest level is, are we getting what we want? If the answer is no or not really, it’s all downhill from there.”

Here are some tell-tale signs that it might be time to break up with your partner.

1. Does your partner annoy you?

Of course. When you spend a significant amount of time with someone, he or she is bound to become annoying. But we’re talking much more than loud chewing or leaving socks on the floor. If the things that your partner does in their day-to-day life – in their fundamental existence – annoy you to the point where you can’t look past it endearingly, that’s something to pay attention to.

“I think we get to a point where we have to ask whether or not we are willing to tolerate the little things,” says Siegel. “If every little thing becomes annoying, we have to go back to the basic question: What are we in this for?”

2. How much of your relationship is affected by resentment?

Every couple fights. Or, at least, the healthy ones do. It’s important to fight. But if you’re finding your arguments are fuelled by resentment – for example, if past problems creep up into every discussion and the issues are impossible to move past – that is a signal to a larger problem.

Read more: 3 toxic behaviours that could ruin your relationships

“If you start thinking about things you aren’t doing in your own life, or wish you could be doing if not for this relationship, that’s when resentment starts to creep in,” Siegel adds. If feelings of security and trust start to feel threatened, that is a big red flag.”

3. Would you rather do things by yourself?

Alone time is one thing. That’s something we all need, and are entitled to. But if you start wishing that you were having all of your adventures without your partner, that’s not the best sign. At the end of the day, a relationship is a choice. You choose to be with the person you’re in a relationship with. And if you’d rather not choose them anymore, you have to start thinking about why.

4. What is your outlook on the future?

When you take a step back and evaluate the bigger picture, do you think of your future with that person? And if so, does it fill you with dread or delight?

“All of these bring us back to the question of, ‘Is this really what I want? Do I feel better? Am I a more positive person with this person?’” Siegel says.

Read more: 9 signs you’re in a toxic relationship and need to get out ASAP

5. Do you still want to try?

Just because you answered “yes” to any or all of these, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to call it quits. The question then becomes: Do you want to still keep trying? Every relationship ebbs and flows. There are going to be rough patches; that’s part of sharing a life with another human. But if, at the end of the day, you being without this person makes you even sadder than being with them at the moment, that is worth noting. There are still ways to sort it out.

“Is this an endpoint or a crossroad?” Siegel asks. “At that point, somebody has to be the adult. Someone has to call a timeout, and both agree that there is something going on.” From there, you need to have a discussion about how much effort and energy each partner is willing to put into repairing the relationship.

“The crisis of ‘do we move forward or do we end it’ can be the best opportunity to really talk about all of the issues we haven’t talked about before,” says Siegel.

The takeaway

If you can see your relationship thriving down the road, then you have a direction to move in. But if not, sometimes the best thing for a relationship is an ending.

“Sometimes things cannot be worked out,” Siegel explains.

The hardest thing to accept is that sometimes it just can’t be fixed – but staying and holding on will ultimately be worse for you both. Letting go and allowing each other to find what truly makes you happy will set you free.

^{This article was originally published onwww.menshealth.com}

^{Image credit: iStock} 

Meagan Drillinger