France is first to ban breast implants linked to rare cancer

Breast implants came under scrutiny in France in the last decade, in a landmark case involving the company Poly Implant Prothèse, which was accused of selling hundreds of thousands of defective implants in 65 countries.

France has banned several types of textured breast implants that have been linked to a rare form of cancer. The ban, which covers macro-textured and polyurethane implants, took effect Friday. It was announced this week by France’s National Agency for Safety of Medicines and Health Products, or ANSM, in a letter to manufacturers.