The case hasn't been made

Orlando Sentinel: The resolution of a long-running medical controversy -- whether silicone breast implants are safe -- now rests with the Food and Drug Administration.
Last month, a federal advisory panel voted 9-6 to recommend that a ban on widespread use of silicone implants be lifted. The FDA usually follows the advice of such panels. But in this case, the agency needs to make an exception.
The panel's chairman wrote a letter after the vote, imploring the FDA to reject the panel's recommendation. He noted that the panel had heard evidence that the implants could hide signs of cancer in mammograms. He also argued that the panel had not been presented with data to establish silicone implants' long-term safety.
Complaints
The FDA took silicone implants off the market in 1992, except for breast-cancer survivors or in other limited cases. The agency acted after years of complaints about implants rupturing and allegations that leaked silicone caused serious health problems.
Meanwhile, saline breast implants have remained available. Last year, more than 225,000 women got implants, most saline.
While research since 1992 has cast doubt on the link between leaked silicone and disease, the company seeking FDA approval for its implants presented data covering only two to three years. That's not nearly long enough.