Using cancer and death registries, these women will be compared, first, to a group of 20,000 women who received other elective cosmetic surgery in the same surgical practices, and second, to the general female population of Canada. The study will estimate the subsequent cancer incidence, death and survival rates among women with breast implants. Risk estimates will be compared both for the specific type of implant and for time since surgery. The study has passed rigorous scientific and ethical reviews. It does not breach doctor-patient confidentiality and all personal information will be kept strictly confidential.
All women have the right to refuse to participate.
Women who do not want their medical files to be a part of the study are asked to call a free information line staffed by a health care professional. An external advisory committee which includes scientific experts, physicians, women's groups, breast implant support groups, and ethical and legal experts is providing advice to the study team for the duration of the project. Planning for phase two, which will examine the risk of connective tissue disorders, specified cancers and other health problems associated with breast implants, will begin in 1997. Funding for this initiative was provided for in the March 1996 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This announcement is an example of how this government is prioritizing its spending so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.