For as long as we can remember, we have often heard people say underarm antiperspirants (a preparation that reduces underarm sweat) or deodorants (a preparation that destroys or masks unpleasant odors) could cause chest cancer. chest cancer is the most common cancer among women and the signs are usually a change in consistency of the chest tissue or lumps found in the chest. chest cancer can also occur in males although this is not as common as it is in females. There is a lot of controversy about this topic, some doctors think antiperspirant-cancer link is not true, while some think otherwise. So you have wondered, is this true? Are you intentionally harming yourself each day in the name of saving a sweat and smelling fresh? These are 5 facts you should know and ponder on…
– There are no strong epidemiologic studies in the medical literature that link chest cancer risk and antiperspirant use. There are very little scientific evidence to support this claim. In fact, a carefully designed epidemiologic study of this issue published in 2002 compared 813 women with chest cancer and 793 women without the disease. The researchers found no link between chest cancer risk and antiperspirant use, deodorant use, or underarm shaving.
– Aluminum-based compounds are the active ingredients in antiperspirants. They block the sweat glands to keep sweat from getting to the skin’s surface. Some research has suggested that these aluminum compounds may be absorbed by the skin and cause changes in estrogen receptors of chest cells. Because estrogen can promote the growth of both cancer and non-cancer chest cells, some scientists have suggested that using the aluminum-based compounds in antiperspirants may be a risk factor for the development of chest cancer, however one study that looked at the absorption of aluminum from antiperspirants containing aluminum chlorohydrate applied to the underarms found that only a tiny fraction (0.012%) was absorbed.
– In another study in 2002 which looked at the relationship between chest cancer and underarm antiperspirants/deodorants, the result did not show any increased risk for chest cancer in women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant. The results also showed no increased chest cancer risk for women who reported using a blade (nonelectric) razor and an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant, or for women who reported using an underarm antiperspirant or deodorant within 1 hour of shaving with a blade razor.
– According to a part of Q&A from the National Cancer Institute, findings from a different study examining the frequency of underarm shaving and antiperspirant/deodorant use among 437 chest cancer survivors were released in 2003. This study found that the age of chest cancer diagnosis was significantly earlier in women who used these products and shaved their underarms more frequently. Furthermore, women who began both of these underarm hygiene habits before 16 years of age were diagnosed with chest cancer at an earlier age than those who began these habits later. While these results suggest that underarm shaving with the use of antiperspirants/deodorants may be related to chest cancer, it does not demonstrate a conclusive link between these underarm hygiene habits and chest cancer.
– In 2006, researchers examined antiperspirant use and other factors among 54 women with chest cancer and 50 women without chest cancer. The study found no association between antiperspirant use and the risk of chest cancer; however, family history and the use of oral contraceptives were associated with an increased risk of chest cancer.
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