So Does Deodorant Cause Breast Cancer
The bottom line is there is no conclusive evidence that links deodorant to breast cancer. Besides those living with kidney disease, deodorants and antiperspirants are safe for you to use. Claims stating otherwise are completely unfounded by science.
There are more effective, researched ways to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer, including lifestyle factors, such as quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active. Breast cancer is most successfully treated when detected early. Not only does early detection of breast cancer provide the best survival rates, but breast cancer treatment tends to be less invasive when therapy begins in the early stages of the disease.
If youre in Connecticut and would like to find a doctor near you, you can locate a board-certified PACT primary care physician near you using our searchable list here.
Antiperspirants And Breast Cancer: Is There A Link
Recent years have seen an increase in the number of aluminum-free antiperspirants and deodorants on the market. The trend has been led by smaller, boutique brands marketed as natural, such as Here + Now, Justin Biebers new gender-neutral deodorant from Schmidts Naturals. But even Dove, one of the longest-established and biggest-selling deodorant brands in the world, launched its 0% Aluminum label this year.
This market shift is driven in part by a hotly disputed link between aluminum-based antiperspirants and breast cancer. Medical experts initially dismissed that link almost 20 years ago due to a lack of scientific studies. Several studies have been done since then, but there is still no scientific consensus. From EWG scientists, heres a summary of the current state of the science.
There are many ways that humans can be exposed to aluminum. Human studies have commonly focused on ingestion and inhalation, often in occupational settings, but aluminum can also be absorbed through the skin, especially skin damaged by shaving, and may accumulate in the body over time as a result of this type of exposure. This is potentially relevant for breast cancer because antiperspirants, which usually contain aluminum to prevent sweating, are applied to skin, near the breast.
Ultimately, we need more studies to reach a consensus. In the meantime, EWG will continue to look out for new research on the issue.
Aluminum And Kidney Disease
The FDA requires aluminum-based deodorant manufacturers to include a warning label for people living with kidney disease stating Ask a doctor before use if you have kidney disease. This advisory is for people living with kidney disease whose kidneys are functioning at 30% or less . Typically, aluminum found in your body is filtered through your kidneys. If your kidneys are not fully functioning, they may not be able to effectively filter out all aluminum from your body.
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Why Is There Aluminum In Deodorant Or Antiperspirant
Its an ingredient thats used to stop or slow sweat. Aluminum is in deodorant to act as an effective plug in the armpit sweat gland, says Beach. When aluminum combines with the skin protein keratin, it forms a plug that closes the sweat duct. This makes it an almost guaranteed inclusion in antiperspirant, but youll often find it in deodorant, too.
Precautions You Can Take
If you prefer to remain cautious while research continues, choose your antiperspirants and deodorants and other personal care products carefully. Check the labels, and avoid those that contain aluminum or parabens . Fortunately, most leading antiperspirant and deodorant brands are paraben-free. And, increasingly, stores are carrying antiperspirants and deodorants that are free of both parabens and aluminum.
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Breast Cancer Myths: No Antiperspirants Do Not Cause Breast Cancer
Antivaccine activists frequently claim that aluminum salts used as adjuvants in vaccines cause autism. However, if you listen to the quacks and cranks, thats not all aluminum does. Oh, no, that nefarious metal is also being blamed for breast cancer. But dont throw away your antiperspirant just yet. The evidence cited to support this connection is utterly unconvincing. Much of it even borders on pseudoscience.
Four weeks ago, I wrote a post in which I explained why wearing a bra does not cause breast cancer. After I had finished the post, it occurred to me that I should have saved that post for now, given that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The reason is that, like clockwork, pretty much every year around this time articles touting various myths about breast cancer will go viral, circulating on social media like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr like so many giant spider-microbes on the moon on Saturday. Sometimes, theyre new articles. Sometimes theyre old articles that, like the killer at the end of a slasher film, seem to have died but always come back for another attack, if not immediately, then when the next movie comes out.
In the meantime, Im going to stick with the original plan, at least for now.
Should I Be Worried About Wearing Deodorant
Studies show that breast cancer most often develops in the upper outer quarter of a breast, which is the area closest to the armpit where deodorant is normally applied. This has led some people to wonder if there is a connection between breast cancer and the use of deodorant products.
Its important to understand that breast tissue isnt spread equally over the four quadrants that make up a breast of the four, the upper outer quadrant has the most breast tissue. When you consider the amount of breast tissue in this area, the proportion of cancers that develop there makes sense. Nevertheless, some researchers suggest that an increase in the use of antiperspirants correlates to a rise in the incidence of breast cancer.
What is known about the ingredients in deodorants?
Even though many people use the terms “antiperspirant” and “deodorant” interchangeably, antiperspirants are actually a subset of deodorants, and each works in a different way. Along with sweat, the sweat glands under the arms expel fats and proteins. As bacteria feast on those fats and proteins, they produce odorous byproducts. While deodorants are simply designed to mask the resulting smell, antiperspirants can prevent the production of sweat in the first place.
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Are Men Less Likely To Get Breast Cancer Because Antiperspirant Gets Caught In Their Underarm Hair And Is Not Absorbed By Their Skin
Men are much less likely than women to develop breast cancer, mostly because men have much less breast tissue than women. Women have about 100 times more breast tissue than men and are about 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer.
Hormones also play a role. Men with metabolic or genetic conditions that lead to increased estrogen levels have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
Underarm hair and antiperspirant absorption have not been linked to male breast cancer risk.
Does Deodorant Cause Breast Cancer Heres What We Know
Weve seen the headlines and have heard the rumors, but what are the facts when it comes to the connection of deodorant and antiperspirant to breast cancer? Should you be concerned? And if there is no connection to deodorant/antiperspirant and breast cancer, how did this myth get started?
In the early 90s, a false news story began circulating on the internet claiming that the everyday use of deodorant/antiperspirant leads to breast cancer. This claim continues to cause concern over the safety of deodorant/antiperspirant
Another long-standing concern has to do with the role of shaving and absorption of antiperspirant into the skin. Aluminum compounds found in antiperspirants can be absorbed through your skin through a nick or cut caused from shaving. The theory goes that after a period of time, these compounds continue to accumulate in the lymph nodes of your underarm, interacting with your DNA and eventually developing into cancerous cells.
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Can Antiperspirants Or Deodorants Cause Breast Cancer
Articles in the press and on the Internet have warned that underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause breast cancer . The reports have suggested that these products contain harmful substances, which can be absorbed through the skin or enter the body through nicks caused by shaving. Some scientists have also proposed that certain ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants may be related to breast cancer because they are applied frequently to an area next to the breast .
However, researchers at the National Cancer Institute , a part of the National Institutes of Health, are not aware of any conclusive evidence linking the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants and the subsequent development of breast cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration , which regulates food, cosmetics, medicines, and medical devices, also does not have any evidence or research data that ingredients in underarm antiperspirants or deodorants cause cancer.
Can Chemicals In The Environment Cause Breast Cancer
Theres no conclusive evidence that exposure to chemicals in the environment increases your risk of breast cancer.
Lots of studies have looked at the relationship between breast cancer and chemicals in the environment such as pesticides, traffic fumes and plastics, but theres no clear evidence of any links.
It can be very difficult to work out the effects of individual chemicals when we are exposed to low levels of thousands of chemicals during our lifetime.
Some studies have suggested that women who are exposed to chemicals in their jobs, for example in the manufacturing industry, may be at higher risk of breast cancer. But the evidence is weak and more research is needed. Employers are legally required to limit exposure to chemicals that may cause cancer.
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Antiperspirants Aluminum And Breast Cancer
Some women are concerned that aluminum causes breast cancer, and aluminums are the primary active ingredients in antiperspirants. The concern stems from the way aluminum compounds can influence estrogenA female sex hormone that is primarily produced by the ovaries. Its primary function is to regulate the menstrual cycle and assist in the production of secondary sex characteristics such as breasts. It may even play a role in the production of cancer cells in the breast tissue. receptors in our breast cells, and levels in the body.
What Did The Studies Show
The researchers did a series of tests on hamster cells and demonstrated that mammalian cells, including those in the mammary gland , when exposed in vitro to aluminium salts rapidly incorporated this metal.
The studies showed that within 24 hours of exposure, genomic instability appeared in these cells as an altercation in the structure and number of chromosomes.
The studies said this is known to occur during malignant transformation caused by proven carcinogens and therefore confirms the carcinogenic potential of aluminium on breast cells.
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Does Aluminum Cause Cancer
There is no evidence that skin exposure to aluminum causes cancer, says Beach. Pause for a collective sigh of relief. Breast cancer in particular is often discussed in this context, and while there is no substantial evidence that aluminum applied to the skin via a deodorant causes breast cancer, there is some evidence that exposure to aluminum can deregulate estrogen signalling, which may promote the metastasis of existing estrogen-positive breast cancer cells. But this only occurs in a minority of types of cancers.
Can Ivf Cause Breast Cancer
Theres no evidence that having IVF treatment affects your risk of breast cancer.
Current evidence suggests women who have received IVF treatment are no more likely to develop breast cancer than women who have not had IVF. However, IVF is a relatively new procedure and more research is needed to be sure of all the long-term health effects.
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Antiperspirants And Breast Cancer Risk
For some time, an email rumor suggested that underarm antiperspirants cause breast cancer. Among its claims:
- Cancer-causing substances in antiperspirants are absorbed through razor nicks from underarm shaving. These substances are said to be deposited in the lymph nodes under the arm, which are not able to get rid of them by sweating because the antiperspirant keeps you from perspiring. This causes a high concentration of toxins, which leads to cells mutating into cancer.
- Most breast cancers develop in the upper outer quadrant of the breast because that area is closest to the lymph nodes exposed to antiperspirants.
- Men have a lower risk of breast cancer because they do not shave their underarms, and their underarm hair keeps chemicals in antiperspirants from being absorbed.
All of these claims are largely untrue.
Fact Or Fiction: Does Deodorant Cause Cancer
Contrary to popular belief, no study has been conducted on the question: Does deodorant cause cancer? How then, has this myth come about, particularly in regards to breast cancer? In this brief video Sonia Jones, with Sonimaâs creator, youâll get a final answer about whether or not theres any truth to the belief that deodorant may cause cancer, and the way so a lot of people tout the negative effect of deodorant. One believed mentioned in this interview, is the aluminum discovered in deodorant is a carcinogen that confounds physicians who run mammograms, given the means where the carcinogens appear in the xray.
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Claims Linking Breast Cancer And Antiperspirants
You may have heard the claim that antiperspirant use can cause breast cancer. It is believed that the chemicals in antiperspirants can enter the body through tiny razor cuts from shaving. The chemicals could then deposit in the lymph nodes. When an antiperspirant keeps an individual from perspiring, its thought that the chemical toxins could build up and lead to the development of cancer in the breast.
According to the American Cancer Society, there is no strong evidence linking breast cancer to antiperspirant use. The ingredients from antiperspirants most likely do not reach the lymph nodes, and a lack of sweating would not trap toxins inside our bodies.
No Clear Evidence Increased Risk Of Breast Cancer From Deodorant Or Antiperspirants Radiation Oncologist Says
Ive recently had a daily sponsored post on my Facebook that screams out in red letters Deodorant Causes Cancer. Its been shared thousands of times and has tons of comments both in support and against this claim.
I decided to reach out to Sunnybrook radiation oncologist Dr. Elysia Donovan to see if she could give me some facts about this cancer-causing claim.
There is currently no clear evidence demonstrating that the use of deodorant or antiperspirant results in an increased risk of breast cancer, she said. This claim actually started in the 1990s in a chain email that was circulated, and numerous studies have since examined the link.
She said the theories behind the claim include the fact that antiperspirants contain aluminum, which can be toxic in large doses, that antiperspirants stop the sweat glands in the underarms from releasing toxins, and that most breast cancer occurs in the upper outer quadrant near the axilla or underarm all theories that have been debunked.
In reality, however, aluminum from cosmetic products is absorbed only in very small quantities, a very small portion of toxins are cleared through the bodys sweat glands, and the greatest proportion of breast tissue is in the upper outer quadrant, which causes a proportionate increase in cancers developing in this location.
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What About Natural Deodorants
Of course, none of this is to say that you shouldnt give natural deodorants a try if youre interested. And if you have sensitive skin, they may be a better option for you. Natural deodorants are hypoallergenic, therefore theyre less likely to cause allergic reactions or skin sensitivity than the traditional formulas do,Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist, tells SheKnows.
Green says traditional deodorants contain fragrance, which acts as the barrier to minimize odor. Natural deodorants, on the other hand, typically contain essential oils to suppress sweating and odor. Like Shainhouse, Green emphasizes that the National Cancer Institute has said theres no conclusive link between traditional deodorants and cancer. But she suggests using natural deodorants due to the decreased risk of an allergic reaction.
Natural is the best way to go, it depends on your bodys personal needs, Green says. For example, some people require prescription-strength antiperspirants so natural deodorants, which need to be reapplied more often than traditional brands, would definitely not be the best option for those individuals.
If you want to give natural deodorant a try, theres certainly no risk associated with it but if youre happy with your current brand, you can rest assured that its not increasing your risk of cancer.
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Quick Take
A number of social media posts, directly and indirectly, claim that using deodorants and antiperspirants causes Breast Cancer in females. We fact-check and find the claims to be mostly false.
The Claim
Multiple social media users claim that using deodorants cause breast Cancer in females. Screenshots of some of such posts are given below.
In addition, we also received a WhatsApp message in circulation in our WhatsApp tipline that says, the major cause of Breast Cancer in girls is the use of antiperspirants. It blocks of sweat. A screenshot of the message is given below.
Fact Check
Do deodorants cause Breast Cancer?
No. Major researches have not revealed any direct connection between Breast Cancer and deodorants.
One of the major reason of concern around deodorants rises from the belief that the chemicals are absorbed in the skin and gets settled in the lymph nodes under the arm. As per the American Cancer Society, this is a false presumption. Their website Cancer.org mentions, There are no strong epidemiologic studies in the medical literature that link breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, and 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 breast cancer and 793 women without the disease. The researchers found no link between breast cancer risk and antiperspirant use, deodorant use, or underarm shaving.
Are deodorants completely safe?
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