A panel of four scientists appointed by a federal court issued a report Tuesday concluding that scientific evidence has so far failed to show that silicone breast implants cause disease.
The scientists, experts in immunology, epidemiology, toxicology and rheumatology, said that some of the research they reviewed was flawed, and as a result, they could not absolutely rule out the possibility that a link between implants and disease might one day be established.But they said that was unlikely.
Implant manufacturers who are defending the suits were delighted with the report's findings.
John McGoldrick, a senior vice president and general counsel at the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, which has 6,000 cases pending against it, called the report "very strong" and said it would have "significant impact."
But Sybil Goldrich, a lawyer with implants who was a founder of an advocacy group for women with implants, criticized the panel. She said it had focused too closely on scientific studies and had not paid enough attention to the experiences of individual women with implants.
Implant makers concede that many women develop scar tissue or even inflammation in their breasts after receiving implants, and that the implants can rupture. But the litigation involves assertions that the silicone in the implant can cause systemic problems.