I came across this Q&A at everydayhealth.com:

Are Implants Dangerous?

Q: I have a family history of breast cancer (my grandmother died from it). I’m interested in breast implants for enlargement, but I’m afraid of breast cancer. I researched on the Internet and found out that silicone is dangerous. What about the other kind, which is only salt and water? Are those dangerous too for a person like me? I really appreciate your help to help me to make a decision.

— Azadeh T., Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

A: While some implants are used to reconstruct a breast that has been removed because of cancer (breast reconstruction after mastectomy), the majority of breast implant surgery is done for elective breast augmentation (enlargement). That’s cosmetic surgery, and anytime you are considering a surgical procedure for cosmetic reasons, you should be sure to understand the known risks, and to understand that some risks might not have yet been identified.
The possibility that silicone implants can increase the risk of developing connective tissue problems was not known until many years after this type of implant had started being widely used. The FDA is currently studying the risks further to determine whether silicone implants are safe, so they are not routinely available now. Most breast implants that are available are saline (salt water).

Either silicone or saline implants can have complications — including decreased nipple sensation, pain, unattractive appearance, scarring, infection, or implant rupture — but data thus far suggest that neither type has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. You should know, however, that breast implants may make it more difficult for a mammogram to find a breast cancer. This might be of particular concern for women at high risk for developing breast cancer, such as women with a strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer.

You should discuss your family history of breast cancer with your physician, and carefully weigh the risks and benefits before you make your decision about elective breast augmentation.

The answer was given by Dr. Martee L. Hensley, an Every Day Health Specialist and a practicing oncologist at Sloan-Kettering. Her specialty is gynecologic cancer.

Needless to say, this Q&A is a bit old. It was published on Oct. 30, 2006, a few weeks before the FDA lifted the ban on silicone breast implants in November 2006. But I wanted to share this because:

1) It shows how information on the Internet, no matter how outdated, can live on and on, continuing to influence people. This is a personal lesson for me, a “newbie.”

2) I like this exchange very much because it’s from a questioner who obviously did her homework: Azadeh starts by ruling out silicone breast implants altogether because of the risks.

3) And the answerer, Dr. Hensley, seems to warn off Azadeh from unnecessary surgery by emphasizing that the patient must thoroughly understand the known risks. She says, the patient must “understand that some risks might not have yet been identified,” which is pretty scary! Breast implant surgery is serious, with the discomfort and risks associated with any major procedure, and I feel terrible that there are so many women willing to go through it for the sake of improving their physical appearance. I think Dr. Henley agrees with me.

4) Finally, Dr. Henley acknowledges that there is the possibility that silicone implants can increase the risk of developing connective tissue problems. Of course, now that silicone implants are back on the market, I wonder what Dr. Henley is saying now. Does she buy the FDA conclusion that breast implants are safe enough and so we should allow women to get them, or did she read the fine print requiring ongoing study, which essentially makes silicone breast implant recipients guinea pigs?