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BIA-ALCL treatment at MD Anderson focuses on breast reconstruction, restoration and quality of life. To do this, we draw upon ALCL treatments that may include specialized and less-invasive surgical techniques.

Many patients only need surgery to successfully treat BIA-ALCL. Some also need targeted therapy. Patients with more aggressive cancers may get additional treatments like chemotherapy, radiation therapy and stem cell transplantation.

BIA-ALCL Surgery

The main goals of surgery for breast implant-associated ALCL are to remove the cancer and any tissue that may cause the cancer to grow.

Surgeries for BIA-ALCL include:

Implant removal with total capsulectomy (IRTC)

During IRTC, the implant and the entire tissue capsule surrounding it are removed. This surgery usually offers the best chance to completely remove the tumor. Some women undergo the surgery to remove implants before cancer has developed.

IRTC is performed under general anesthesia. The surgery typically takes around three hours. Patients usually spend one night in the hospital.

Patients are normally able to stand and walk a few hours after the procedure. They can resume some normal activities about a week after surgery. Full recovery usually takes around two to three weeks.

Lymph node dissection (LND)

Cancer often first spreads to the lymph nodes. During an LND, lymph nodes that are suspected of having BIA-ALCL cells are removed. A pathologist, a doctor who specializes in diagnosing disease, then studies them under a microscope for the presence of cancer cells.

This procedure is usually performed at the same time as the IRTC.

Targeted therapy for BIA-ALCL

Targeted therapy drugs are designed to stop or slow the growth or spread of cancer. This happens on a cellular level. Cancer cells need specific molecules (often in the form of proteins) to survive, multiply and spread. These molecules are usually made by the genes that cause cancer, as well as by the cells themselves. Targeted therapies are designed to interfere with, or target, these molecules or the cancer-causing genes that create them.

BIA-ALCL patients get targeted therapy through an IV infusion. Infusions are given every three weeks, with each session lasting about one hour. Patients typically get four to 12 infusions in all.

The side effects of targeted therapy depend on the exact drug the patient gets. The most common side effect for BIA-ALCL patients is neuropathy, nerve damage that can cause pain, tingling or weakness.

Learn more about targeted therapy and targeted therapy side effects.

Chemotherapy for BIA-ALCL

Chemotherapy drugs kill cancer cells, control their growth or relieve disease-related symptoms. Chemotherapy may involve a single drug or a combination of two or more drugs, depending on the type of cancer and how fast it is growing.

BIA-ALCL patients can get chemotherapy through an IV infusion. Each infusion session lasts around an hour. Most patients get chemotherapy two to three times a week for six to eight weeks. Treatment plans can vary, though.

The side effects of chemotherapy depend on the exact drug the patient gets. They can include hair loss, nausea, fatigue and infections.

Learn more about chemotherapy and chemotherapy side effects.

Radiation therapy for BIA-ALCL

Radiation therapy uses powerful, focused beams of energy (usually X-rays) to kill cancer cells. There are many kinds of radiation therapy. Doctors can use these to accurately target a tumor while limiting damage to healthy tissue.

Radiation therapy for BIA-ALCL can be given after surgery to kill any cancer cells that remain. It can also be used when the patient cannot undergo surgery. Patients typically get radiation treatment three times a week for three weeks. Each radiation treatment session lasts about 30 minutes. Side effects include fatigue and skin irritation, such as itchy, dry or red skin.

Learn more about radiation therapy.

Stem cell transplant for BIA-ALCL

A stem cell transplant (also known as a bone marrow transplant) is a procedure that replaces cancerous bone marrow with new, healthy bone marrow stem cells.

For BIA-ALCL, the healthy stem cells are taken from patients themselves instead of from a donor. This is called an autologous stem cell transplant.

Stem cell transplants are usually given after an intense round of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that kills the patient¡¯s existing bone marrow cells. Patients usually must stay in the hospital for three to four weeks after the transplant.

Stem cell transplants are rarely used to treat BIA-ALCL and are typically given to patients with the most advanced and aggressive forms of the disease.

Learn more about stem cell transplants and stem cell transplant side effects.