Skip to main content

Genital Talc Use Positively Linked to Ovarian Cancer

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on May 21, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, May 21, 2024 -- There is a positive association between use of intimate care products, including genital talc, and ovarian cancer, according to a study published online May 15 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Katie M. O'Brien, Ph.D., from the National Institutes of Health in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and colleagues examined the association between intimate care products and female hormone-related cancers using data from a U.S.-based cohort study enrolling 50,884 women who had a sister with breast cancer. Data on genital talc use and douching were obtained at enrollment in 2003 to 2009 and at follow-up in 2017 to 2019.

Overall, 41 to 64 percent of participants douched and 35 to 56 percent used genital talc across considered scenarios. The researchers found that genital talc use was positively associated with ovarian cancer in models adjusted for exposure misclassification (hazard ratio range, 1.17 to 3.34). Positive associations were seen for frequent douching and douching during young adulthood with ovarian cancer; neither douching nor talc was associated with breast or uterine cancer. Positive biases were likely produced by differential reporting of talc use by cases and noncases, but hazard ratios were above 1.0 even when correcting for error. For example, when 25 percent of exposed cases and 10 percent of unexposed noncases had talc status reassigned, the hazard ratio was 1.40.

"Our findings support the hypothesis that there is a positive association between genital talc use and ovarian cancer incidence, although they do not pinpoint a specific cause or mechanism," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted May 2024

Read this next

Mean Cost of Bringing New Drug to U.S. Market Is $879.3 Million

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- The mean cost of developing a new drug for the U.S. market is estimated to be $879.3 million when both drug development failure and capital costs are...

Patient–Primary Care Provider Language Concordance Tied to Better Outcomes

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- Patient-family physician language concordance is associated with a lower risk for adverse outcomes, according to a study published online June 3...

Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam Improves Detection of Cognitive Issues in Primary Care

TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 -- A self-administered gerocognitive examination (SAGE) is easily incorporated into primary care provider (PCP) visits, and its use significantly increases...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.