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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, February 7, 1992                   TAG: 9202070053
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

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LAWSUIT FILED TO STOP IMPLANT MORATORIUM

A group of breast cancer patients and plastic surgeons sued the government Thursday, seeking to reverse the Food and Drug Administration's stand against silicone breast implants.

The Citizen's Coalition for Truth in Science asked a court to declare the FDA's "voluntary moratorium" on the implants illegal.

The agency on Jan. 6 called on doctors to stop using silicone-gel breast implants until new information about their safety can be assessed.

"Many thousands of women scheduled to undergo" breast cancer surgery and silicone implants "are going through extreme emotional upheaval" because of the FDA's action, said Mary Follin, a cancer patient who recently had breast-reconstruction surgery.

The issue has been stirred up by "junk scientists," said Dr. Jack Fisher of Vanderbilt University, who does breast reconstruction for cancer patients. "Charlatans are exploiting these women's fears."

Fisher said one of the junk scientists is Dr. Sidney Wolfe, who has urged a ban on the implants.

"It seems like the people who brought this suit might be junk lawyers," said Wolfe, director of the health-research group of Public Citizen, an organization founded by Ralph Nader.

- Associated Press

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