以人工合成網膜來修補加強衰弱的人體組織首見於1940年，並在1990年代首度核准使用於女性的骨盆腔脫垂與應力性尿失禁修補手術。除了出血以及疼痛的副作用外，聚丙烯材質的網膜一般被認為是安全的人體植入物。但是也有人提出疑問，這些人體植入物在體內經過長期的氧化以及分解之下，會不會產生慢性的發炎反應，進而導致致癌過程的發生呢？本篇文章以一個涵蓋整個紐約州的醫療保險資料庫來做數據分析，比較三組不同族群病患接受手術後的癌症發生率：因骨盆腔脫垂或應力性尿失禁接受網膜修補的病人、因良性發炎而切除膽囊的病人、以及因良性疾病接受經陰道子宮切除的病人。結果在平均六年的追蹤期間，經陰道人工網膜放置手術並沒有增加任何癌症發生的風險（包括骨盆腔癌症以及其他任何類型癌症）。

Purpose: We sought to determine if there was a potential link between synthetic polypropylene mesh implantation for transvaginal pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, and carcinogenesis using statewide administrative data.

Materials and Methods: Women who underwent transvaginal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence with mesh between January 2008 and December 2009 in New York State were identified using ICD-9-CM procedure codes and CPT-4 codes. Patients in the mesh cohort were individually matched to 2 control cohorts based on comorbidities and procedure date. Carcinogenesis was determined before and after matching at 1, 2 and 3 years, and during the entire followup time.

Results: A total of 2,229 patients who underwent mesh based pelvic organ prolapse surgery and 10,401 who underwent sling surgery for stress urinary incontinence between January 2008 and December 2009 were included in the study. Mean followup was 6 years (range 5 to 7). Exact matching between the mesh and control cohorts resulted in 1,870 pairs for pelvic organ prolapse mesh and cholecystectomy (1:2), 1,278 pairs for pelvic organ prolapse mesh and hysterectomy (1:1), 7,986 pairs for sling and cholecystectomy (1:1) and 3,810 pairs for sling and hysterectomy (1:1). Transvaginal mesh implantation was not associated with an increased risk of a cancer diagnosis (pelvic/local cancers or any cancer) at 1 year and during the entire followup of up to 7 years.

Conclusions: Transvaginal surgery with implantation of mesh was not associated with the development of malignancy at a mean followup of 6 years.