Polyurethane coating reduces implant complications after mastectomy, cancer study finds

The study is said to provide important evidence to guide reconstructive planning for patients who are likely to need radiotherapy. Photograph: Coolpicture/Getty Images

Women with breast cancer who have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy are much less likely to have complications if they have a polyurethane-coated implant, according to research.

About 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year, of whom about 30% have a mastectomy. Many of these will subsequently have radiotherapy.