Talcum Powder & Cervical Cancer
Talcum powder is a popular after-bath ritual for many people. Yet there is some evidence to suggest that it may be related to cervical cancer if used on the genital areas. Many people have merely switched to a safer cornstarch substitute.
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Why Is Talcum Powder Harmful?
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In its natural form, talc may contain asbestos. So in 1973 legislation was passed that required all home-use talcum powders to be asbestos-free. Unfortunately, women who used talc before that time may have already been exposed. Talcum powder can cause irritation which in turn can stimulate the growth of cancer cells in the covering area of the female ovaries--even if non-asbestos talc is what the woman used. Talcum powder particles enter through the vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes and pass on to the ovaries. This is how they can also come in contact with the cervix.
Is There Any Proof That Talcum Powder Causes Cervical Cancer?
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The connection is more of an example of "guilt by association." Several studies have examined this connection, and the results have been inconclusive. One study found that women who had ovarian cancer did, in fact, apply talcum powder to their external genital areas. But since many of these women may have used talcum powder with asbestos contamination not present in current products, the actual risk is difficult to evaluate. Since there was some connection to ovarian cancer, and since the contamination route is similar, some doctors tried to connect talcum powder with cervical cancer, but this was not as obvious or as definite a connection as with ovarian cancer.
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So Should You Continue to Use Talcum Powder?
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This is up to you since, statistically, only a very small percentage of women who have used talcum powder will ever actually develop ovarian or cervical cancer. However, if cancer runs in your family--and this is especially true of ovarian cancer--you may want to consider substituting cornstarch-based powder as there is no evidence linking cornstarch powders with ovarian cancer or any other kind of cancer.
Does Talc Cause Cancer in Animals?
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Some species of mice have developed cancer from the inhalation of asbestos-free talc. But this did not affect other species of mice. Also, mice used in cancer experiments of any kind are bred to develop cancer at a faster rate than mice existing in their normal environment. And there may have been other factors that contributed to the development of cancer in those mice that became victims of the disease.
Has Talcum Been Associated With Other Human Cancers?
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One study suggested that talcum powder use is associated with borderline and uterine-like cancers. And some studies of talc miners and millers have suggested an increased risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, however they had been exposed to an industrial grade of talc which would have been much stronger than that typically used in the average home.
Conclusion
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Talcum powder has been implicated in the formation of ovarian cancer, yet a strong inevitable correlation has not been established. The connection between talcum powder and cervical cancer is even less established with the only known definite cause of cervical cancer being human papillomavirus. If you use talcum powder only occasionally, you probably have nothing to worry about. However if you use it consistently and have for years--or you have a family history of ovarian or cervical cancer--you may want to switch to a cornstarch-based powder since they have no connection to any form of cancer.
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References
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