Molecular Mechanisms Associated With Breast Implant Complications

This study investigates the biological and molecular mechanisms behind complications related to breast implants, including a rare cancer called Breast Implant-Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (BIA-ALCL), as well as more common issues like capsular contracture (hardening of scar tissue around the implant). Researchers will collect tissue samples from women having implants removed or undergoing other breast surgeries to study the immune and cellular processes that may drive these complications. Women aged 18 and older who are scheduled for breast implant removal, or who are having another type of breast surgery, are eligible. Women who cannot give informed consent, are pregnant, have HIV/AIDS or severe immune deficiency, are on immunosuppressive medications, or are incarcerated are excluded. Participants simply provide a tissue sample that is collected during their already-planned surgical procedure — no additional operation is needed. The study is observational and does not involve any experimental treatment. This research is important because understanding the immune triggers behind implant-related complications could lead to better implant designs, earlier detection of BIA-ALCL, and safer outcomes for the hundreds of thousands of women who receive breast implants each year.