Breast prosthetic implant-associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A case report and Literature Review

Abstract

Abstract BackgroundBreast reconstruction is widely used for women undergoing mastectomy. Prosthetic implants have become a common technique performed for these women because of their safety, flexibility and adjustable size. There are few reports of implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma. In addition to this report, only 8 reports including 11 cases have been reported in the English literature.Case presentationWe report the case of a patient with breast prosthetic implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma who received mastectomy and prosthetic implants 10 years ago. She was recently hospitalized with unilateral breast enlargement. Surgical pathology showed squamous cell carcinoma around the breast implant. There was no evidence of primary squamous cell carcinoma at any other anatomic site. We analysed all 11 patients with breast implant-derived squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from a thorough literature search to identify studies. The median age of patients at SCC diagnosis was 56.8 years old. The average time from initial breast augmentation until SCC diagnosis was 21.9 years. The prognosis was poor; 4 of the 11 patients eventually progressed or died within 1 year, 3 of the 11 patients were disease free during the follow-up period, and 4 of the 11 patients were lost to follow-up. The most widespread opinion is that chronic inflammation from breast implants plays a substantial role in the disease progression of SCC.ConclusionsWe reported the rare complications associated with breast prosthetic implants and reviewed the literature. This malignancy should be taken into account in patients with breast prosthetic implants who have acute breast pain and enlargement.