Patient Registry and Outcomes for Breast Implants and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Etiology and Epidemiology (PROFILE): Updated Report 2012-2020

BACKGROUND

In January of 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a safety communication regarding the potential association between breast implants and anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL). In 2012, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Plastic Surgery Foundation, and the Food and Drug Administration signed a cooperative research and development agreement to develop the Patient Registry and Outcomes for Breast Implants and Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma Etiology and Epidemiology (PROFILE) patient registry.

METHOD

This is an updated report of registry findings. From August of 2012 to August of 2020, 330 unique, suspected, or confirmed cases of breast implant-associated (BIA) ALCL in the United States were reported to PROFILE, including 144 cases newly reported since the 2018 publication.

RESULTS

Median time from implantation of any device to BIA-ALCL diagnosis was 11 years (range, 2 to 44 years). At the time of presentation, 91% of cases had local symptoms and 9% had concurrent systemic symptoms. The most common local symptom was seroma, seen in 79% of patients. All patients had a history of a textured device; there were no patients who had a confirmed smooth-only device history. Approximately 11% of the reported cases were diagnosed with stage 1A disease (tumor-node-metastasis staging classification).

CONCLUSIONS

The PROFILE registry continues to be an essential tool in unifying the collection of granular-level data pertaining to BIA-ALCL. These data emphasize the critical importance of detailed tracking of BIA-ALCL cases, and will contribute significantly to our understanding of the relationship between breast implants and ALCL.

Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large-Cell Lymphoma: Updated Systematic Review and Analysis of Treatment Strategies

BACKGROUND

Although guidelines have been published on treatment of breast implant-associated anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), there has been no comprehensive analysis of BIA-ALCL treatment variation based on the available literature. The authors sought to assess current treatment strategies of BIA-ALCL relative to current guidelines.

METHODS

Database searches were conducted in June of 2020. Included articles were case reports and case series with patient-level data. Collected variables included clinicopathologic features, implant characteristics, diagnostic tests, ALCL characteristics, treatment, and details of follow-up and outcome. Treatment data from before and after 2017 were compared with National Cancer Center Network guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 89 publications were included and 178 cases of BIA-ALCL were identified. Most patients presented with seroma ( n = 114, 70.4 percent), followed by a mass ( n = 14, 8.6 percent), or both ( n = 23, 14.2 percent). Treatment included en bloc capsulectomy of the affected implant in 122 out of 126 cases with treatment details provided (96.8 percent). Radiation therapy was given in 38 cases (30.2 percent) and chemotherapy was given in 71 cases (56.3 percent). Practitioners used less chemotherapy for local disease after treatment guideline publication in 2017 ( p < 0.001), whereas treatment for advanced disease remained unchanged ( p = 0.3). There were 10 recurrences and eight fatalities attributable to BIA-ALCL, which were associated with advanced presentation (29 versus 2.1 percent; OR, 19.4; 95 percent CI, 3.9 to 96.3; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

BIA-ALCL remains a morbid but treatable condition. Current guidelines focus treatment for local disease and reduce nonsurgical interventions with radiation or chemotherapy. Patients presenting with advanced BIA-ALCL experience higher rates of recurrence and mortality.

Patient Registry and Outcomes for Breast Implants and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Etiology and Epidemiology (PROFILE): Initial Report of Findings, 2012-2018

BACKGROUND

In January of 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration released a safety communication regarding the potential association between breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). In August of 2012, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, The Plastic Surgery Foundation, and the Food and Drug Administration signed a cooperative research and development agreement to develop a patient registry entitled the "Patient Registry and Outcomes for Breast Implants and Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Etiology and Epidemiology" (PROFILE).

METHODS

The first report of the registry findings is presented here.

RESULTS

From August of 2012 to March of 2018, a total of 186 distinct cases of breast implant-associated ALCL (BIA-ALCL) in the United States were reported to PROFILE. At the time of this present analysis, complete detailed case report forms have been received for 89 (48%) cases. Median time from implantation of any device to BIA-ALCL diagnosis was 11.0 years (range = 2-44 years; n = 89). At the time of presentation, 96% of cases had local symptoms and 9% had concurrent systemic symptoms. The most common local symptom was a periprosthetic fluid collection seen in 86% of patients. All patients had a history of a textured device; there were no patients who had a smooth-only device history. At the time of initial case report submission, 3 deaths were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The PROFILE Registry has shown to be an essential tool in unifying the collection of data pertaining to BIA-ALCL. These data have broadened our understanding of the disease and emphasize the critical importance of detailed tracking of BIA-ALCL cases.