Pulverized hydrated magnesium silicate.
Many women apply powder to their genitals, either by direct application or on underwear, sanitary napkins, diaphragms, or tampons.
Most powder products include some mineral talc.
Intrapleural talc can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and interstitial lung processes.
The InternationalAgency forResearch on Cancer has concluded there is only a possible evidence that perineal use of talc based body powder may be carcinogenic.
Case-controlled studies report anassociation between use a powder in the genital area and ovarian cancer with odds ratio of 1.24-1.31 in meta-analysis: these findings however may be affected by recall bias and knowledge of talc related suits and media coverage.
Pooled data from women 4 cohort studies (nurses health study 1 and 2,SisterStudy, and Women’’s Health Initiative) indicated there is not a statistically significant association between the use of powder in the genital area and incidental ovarian cancer (O’Brien KM).
It is suggested mechanism for talc as the causative agent in epithelial ovary cancer is uptake into the vagina, through the cervix and uterus, and through the fallopian tubes into the peritoneal cavity.
Once talc is in contact with fallopian tubes, ovaries and peritoneum it is suggested that it causes local information and triggers a carcinigenic process.
Talc has structural similarities to asbestos, and is mined in the same mines from which of asbestos is obtained.
Study Finds No Association Between Powder Use and Ovarian Cancer
An analysis of 4 US cohorts showed no statistically significant association between use of powder in the genital area and incidence of ovarian cancer, according to a study published in JAMA (O’Brien K).
The study analyzed data from a total of 252,745 women with a median age at baseline of 57 years.
Ovarian cancer incidence for talc users was 61 cases of 100,000 person-years, with an incidence of 55 cases of 100,000 among the never users.
There were no dose-response trends for duration and frequency of powder use in the genital area in relation to ovarian cancer risk.
Data was pooled from the Nurses’ Health Study, Nurses’ Health Study II, Sister Study and the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study.