Are silicone breast implants really safe?

Five years after the FDA allowed silicone breast implants back on the market, it continues to insist they're safe — though that may just be "wishful thinking"

Silicone breast implants
(Image credit: Klaus Tiedge/Corbis)

In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration banned silicone breast implants, amid a chorus of concerns that they could cancer, lupus, or other diseases. Five years ago, regulators allowed the implants back on the market, saying research had ruled out most disease fears. Now, after reviewing obligatory studies from two silicone implant manufacturers, the FDA says that it made the right decision, and "that silicone gel-filled breast implants have reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness when used as labeled." But are they really so safe? Here, a brief guide:

What exactly did this review find?

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