Breast implants can lead to skin cancer, FDA warns in alarming report

As young 20-somethings flock to plastic surgeons for chin lipo, lip flips and breast augmentations, the Food and Drug Administration has a grim warning.

On Wednesday, the agency issued a safety update regarding breast implants, reporting that the FDA is aware of 19 cases of potentially deadly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) – or skin cancer – and “various lymphomas” in “the capsule around the breast implant” and in scar tissue.

The agency noted that the cancers are different than the previously reported risk of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL).

While believed to be “rare,” the development of SCC and other lymphomas is possible, and the agency advised that patients who have or desire implants should be informed of the risk.

The FDA released a safety warning in September of last year following multiple medical device reports involving lymphomas and SCC related to the coveted implants.

Per the announcement, the agency discovered fewer than 20 cases of SCC and under 30 of various lymphomas surrounding the breast implants in patients.

The grim, new warning follows a wave of young people on social media who are flaunting their new boobs, as more 20-somethings pay big bucks for the breasts of their dreams.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ashley Amalfi, who practices at the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery in Rochester, New York, previously told The Post that there’s been an uptick in Gen Z patients.

In addition to Botox or filler, breast augmentations and lifts are amongst the most sought-after procedures, she said.

Popular content creators have even shared their journeys to new boobs online.

“It girl” Alix Earle recently celebrated her one-year “boob-iversary” with her 4.7 million followers, explaining how she chose what size to get and which doctor to approach. Fellow TikToker Kennedy Eurich went under the knife just last month, taking her 1.4 million fans along for the ride.

Last year, plastic and cosmetic surgery organization The Aesthetic Society reported that breast augmentations, lifts and reductions were up by 48% in 2021, estimating that 365,000 augmentations were performed that year.

But with beauty, sometimes comes pain – or, in this case, breast implant illness (BII). Regarded as a newly investigated phenomenon, Cleveland Clinic describes BII as a “range of symptoms” that occur after getting implants.

Regardless of whether they’re saline or silicone, implants can cause joint and muscle pain or weakness, mental health problems, brain fog, fatigue, memory loss, chronic pain, hair loss, rashes and more. While some patients’ symptoms resolve after removing the implants, others don’t find the same relief.

Medical professionals advise implants to be refreshed every 10 years to avoid complications, but some patients reportedly haven’t needed to wait for nearly that long before symptoms set in.

Women have previously claimed it felt as if they’d been “poisoned” due to their implants, while others reported severe weight gain and adult acne.

One woman’s botched plastic surgery resulted in “mold” around her implants, which she claimed could have “killed” her, while another claimed her implants nearly fell out of her chest following a corrective procedure.

While implants are widely considered safe, Detroit-based “influencer” plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn previously told The Post that he is “questioning his training” after an influx of women with BII.

“Throughout my training, I was told it [breast implant illness] was hogwash — and that’s what I believed,” he told The Post in 2019, while noting that many patients don’t experience such extreme complications.

“Awareness is so important,” he added.