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10.5.3 Pharmaceutical Applications
The diversity of the existing silicone products allows them to be used in most
areas of pharmacology such as: active pharmaceutical excipient (e.g. development of sustained release formulations), active principle (e.g. antiflatulent fluids
or emulsions, both with and without antacids), manufacturing aids (e.g. lubricants and tubes for transferring of liquids) and inert pharmaceutical excipient
(e.g. glidants for powders and soft capsule shells). Silicone rubbers have been
extensively used in medical. Silicone rubber tubes used in medical practice can
cause some problems. The gas permeability of dimethylsilicone is high enough
to cause the formation of bubbles in silicone tubes which are often used in pumps
for delivery drug to patients. Some drugs are sensitive to oxygen permeate. A
simple way to demonstrate this effect is to fill a section of silicone tube with
water and then both ends, excluding any air bag. The water filled tube can be
placed on any suitable ledge for several hours. It should be noted that air cavities
are formed in tube lumen (Bradley et al. 1967). A good deal of controversy has
involved the use of silicone in polyurethane bags as breast implants (Duscher
et al. 2017). Again, they were used because they were thought to be very inert
and resistant to dissolution or other reactions. Reports have said increased cancer
risk and severe immune responses from possible leakage of the silicone from the
implants. Some scientists dispute these findings (Grigg et al. 2000).
10.5.4 Epidemiology
With the resolution of the legal controversy over silicone gel-filled breast
implants underway, these medical devices remain available with some restriction
in the U.S., where they have been used since the early 1960s. However, outside
of the U.S. and Canada, access to these devices has no restrictions. Epidemiology
studies have consistently found no association between breast implants and
breast cancer (Hansson et al. 1996; Holmich et al. 2003). In fact, some studies
suggest that women with implants may have a decreased risk of breast cancer
(Brinton et al. 1996; David et al. 2019). Reports of cancer at sites other than the
breast are inconsistent or attributed to lifestyle factors (Herdman and Fahey
2001). The research on autoimmune tissue disease has also been remarkably uniform and concludes that there is no causal association between breast implants
and connective tissue disease (Mayesh and Vicari 2013).
S. Sikdar and S. Majumdar
10.5.3 Pharmaceutical Applications
The diversity of the existing silicone products allows them to be used in most
areas of pharmacology such as: active pharmaceutical excipient (e.g. development of sustained release formulations), active principle (e.g. antiflatulent fluids
or emulsions, both with and without antacids), manufacturing aids (e.g. lubricants and tubes for transferring of liquids) and inert pharmaceutical excipient
(e.g. glidants for powders and soft capsule shells). Silicone rubbers have been
extensively used in medical. Silicone rubber tubes used in medical practice can
cause some problems. The gas permeability of dimethylsilicone is high enough
to cause the formation of bubbles in silicone tubes which are often used in pumps
for delivery drug to patients. Some drugs are sensitive to oxygen permeate. A
simple way to demonstrate this effect is to fill a section of silicone tube with
water and then both ends, excluding any air bag. The water filled tube can be
placed on any suitable ledge for several hours. It should be noted that air cavities
are formed in tube lumen (Bradley et al. 1967). A good deal of controversy has
involved the use of silicone in polyurethane bags as breast implants (Duscher
et al. 2017). Again, they were used because they were thought to be very inert
and resistant to dissolution or other reactions. Reports have said increased cancer
risk and severe immune responses from possible leakage of the silicone from the
implants. Some scientists dispute these findings (Grigg et al. 2000).
10.5.4 Epidemiology
With the resolution of the legal controversy over silicone gel-filled breast
implants underway, these medical devices remain available with some restriction
in the U.S., where they have been used since the early 1960s. However, outside
of the U.S. and Canada, access to these devices has no restrictions. Epidemiology
studies have consistently found no association between breast implants and
breast cancer (Hansson et al. 1996; Holmich et al. 2003). In fact, some studies
suggest that women with implants may have a decreased risk of breast cancer
(Brinton et al. 1996; David et al. 2019). Reports of cancer at sites other than the
breast are inconsistent or attributed to lifestyle factors (Herdman and Fahey
2001). The research on autoimmune tissue disease has also been remarkably uniform and concludes that there is no causal association between breast implants
and connective tissue disease (Mayesh and Vicari 2013).
S. Sikdar and S. Majumdar