Source: AFP
The World Health Organization’s cancer agency on Friday labeled talc as “probably carcinogenic” to humans, but an outside expert warned against mistaking the announcement as a “smoking gun”.
The decision was based on “limited evidence” that talc could cause ovarian cancer in humans, “sufficient evidence” that it was linked to cancer in rats and “strong mechanistic evidence” that it shows carcinogenic signs in human cells, the International said. WHO Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
Talc is a natural mineral that is mined in many parts of the world and is often used to make baby powder.
Most people are exposed to talc in the form of baby powder or cosmetics, according to the Lyon-based IARC.
However, the most significant exposure to talc occurs when talc is mined, processed or used to make products, he added.
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The agency said there were numerous studies that consistently showed an increase in the rate of ovarian cancer in women who use talcum powder on their genitals.
But it could not be ruled out that the talc in some studies was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.
“The causative role of talc could not be fully demonstrated,” according to the agency’s findings published in The Lancet Oncology.
Kevin McConway, a statistician at the UK’s Open University who was not involved in the research, warned that for the IARC assessment, “the most obvious interpretation is actually misleading”.
The agency only aims “to answer the question of whether the substance has the potential to cause cancer, under certain conditions that IARC does not specify,” he said.
Because the studies were observational and therefore could not prove causation, “there is no smoking gun that talc use causes an increased risk of cancer,” he added.
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The announcement comes just weeks after US pharmaceutical and cosmetics giant Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $700 million to settle allegations it misled customers about the safety of talcum powder products.
Johnson & Johnson did not admit wrongdoing in its settlement, even though it pulled the product from the North American market in 2020.
A summary of studies published in 2020 covering 250,000 women in the United States found no statistical relationship between genital talc use and ovarian cancer risk.
Also on Friday, IARC classified acrylonitrile, a chemical compound used to make polymers, as “carcinogenic to humans,” the highest warning level.
He cited “sufficient evidence” linking acrylonitrile to lung cancer.
Polymers made with acrylonitrile are used in everything from fibers in clothing to carpets, plastics and other consumer products.
Source: AFP
