Can talcum powder cause cancer as WHO claims? – Firstpost

Talc is frequently used in blush, eye shadow, powders, and other cosmetic items.

However, the World Health Organization’s cancer agency on Friday classified the mineral, mined from the Earth, as “probably carcinogenic” for humans.

While some who frequently use talcum powders are concerned about the most recent statement, an outside expert cautioned against mistaking it for a “smoking gun.”

Let’s take a closer look.

WHO classifies talc as ‘cancer-causing’

Talc is classified under Group 2B, which comprises compounds with significant evidence from animal research but little proof of causing cancer in humans.

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 WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said, according to AFP.

The classification calls for more research and is not a final verdict.

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 its talcum-based powder products.

Johnson & Johnson did not admit wrongdoing in its settlement, even though it withdrew the product from the North American market in 2020.

The link between talc and cancer

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral which is mined in many parts of the world and is often used to make talcum baby powder.

Most people are exposed to talc in the form of baby powder or cosmetics, according to the Lyon-based IARC.

In the Earth, naturally occurring minerals called talc and asbestos are found close to one another. Because of this close connection throughout their growth, asbestos contamination of talc during mining and processing is a possibility.

The IARC, which employs a meticulous approach based on expert assessments and peer-reviewed research to determine if a substance has the potential to cause cancer, said there were numerous studies that consistently showed an increase in the rate of ovarian cancer in women who use talc on their genitals. However, it could not rule out that the talc in some studies was contaminated with cancer-causing asbestos.

“A causal role for talc could not be fully established,” according to the agency’s findings published in The Lancet Oncology.

A summary of studies published in 2020 covering 250,000 women in the United States did not find a statistical link between the use of talc on the genitals and the risk of ovarian cancer.

The American Cancer Society has drawn attention to this difference, stating that while certain studies indicate a marginal risk increase, most of the data is inconclusive, according to Indian Express.

Additionally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluated cosmetics containing talc for asbestos, a known carcinogen, and found that most products had no measurable quantities.

This does not prove that talcum powder is a carcinogen.

Expert opinion

Kevin McConway, a statistician at the UK’s Open University not involved in the research, warned that for the IARC’s evaluation, the “most obvious interpretation is actually misleading.”

The agency is only aiming “to answer the question of whether the substance has the potential to cause cancer, under some conditions that IARC do not specify,” he said, according to AFP.

Because the studies were observational and so could not prove causation, “there isn’t a smoking gun that the talc use causes any increased cancer risk,” he added.

As per Dr Manish Singhal who wrote for Indian Express, the difference between talc containing asbestos and talc free of asbestos is to be understood.

Deposits of natural talc may be contaminated by asbestos, a recognised carcinogen. In contrast to asbestos-free talc, talc containing asbestos is classified by the IARC as “carcinogenic to humans.”

He says, today, the majority of cosmetic-grade talc is asbestos-free.

Regulatory agencies like the FDA routinely evaluate the safety of items containing talc.

Health Canada discovered a potential relationship between talc and ovarian cancer in 2020, but they did not suggest outright banning the product.

Other announcements

Also on Friday, the IARC classified acrylonitrile, a chemical compound used to make polymers, as “carcinogenic to humans,” its highest warning level.

It cited “sufficient evidence” linking acrylonitrile to lung cancer.

The polymers made with acrylonitrile are used in everything from fibres in clothes to carpets, plastics and other consumer products.

With inputs from agencies