Amid growing scrutiny of breast implant safety, a pair of UCLA scientists are developing a lab test aimed at detecting silicone implant ruptures which they think may also help explain why many women who received implants have later reported a constellation of systemic symptoms.
The Food and Drug Administration recently elevated safety warnings over breast implants after collecting reports from hundreds of thousands of women about a novel cancer and other chronic conditions, like brain fog, joint pain and fatigue. While regulators have said more research is needed into what’s possibly causing a range of symptoms that’s been unofficially termed “breast implant illness,” the silicone used in implants is seen as a possible culprit.