Talc Use and Cancer of the Ovary

Talc is the main ingredient in baby powder, medicated powders, and designer perfumed body powders; it’s also used in smaller quantities in deodorants.  Talc has long been known to be a cancer-promoting agent, akin to asbestos. However, there’s no US regulation controlling the use of talc in these cosmetic products, despite 20 years of published epidemiologic reports of cancer risks.  How great is the problem today?

A presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research reports the results of a study of more than 2,000 women with ovarian cancer and a similar number of women without cancer. The possible history of talc use was for a date one year before diagnosis of ovarian cancer, and use at the date of interview for the control (non-cancer) women.

Adjustments were made for differences in age, number of pregnancies, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation, body mass index (BMI), smoking and alcohol use, Jewish ancestry, and family history of breast or ovarian cancer.  Talc use was associated with an increased prevalence of ovarian cancer – increases of about 20% to 40% depending on the analyses used, but most often 30%. Strikingly, none of the analyses showed a significant difference between cancer cases and controls for premenopausal women; however, there were not many premenopausal women with frequent use of talc products, so an association with them may have been missed.  

The results of this study quantify earlier reports of a relationship between cancer and talc exposure.  It seems irresponsible for the FDA not to issue a regulatory warning against the use of talc products on the body.  There is a pending lawsuit in South Dakota against talc manufacturers by a woman with ovarian cancer.  Perhaps this will provide the necessary stimulus.