Deodorant and breast cancer link?

[Mrstumbletap]

I was reading an article yesterday that showed the links between deodorant and breast cancer and it having something to do with the aluminium in them.

So I looked this morning and all my deodorant spray and roll on or stick types have it. But body spray doesn't.

Are there any scientists, oncologists, deodorant makers or anyone more 'in the know' to know if this it something I/we should be avoiding? It's a bit scary!

Cancer Research UK says

"You may have heard rumours that deodorants and antiperspirants could cause breast cancer. But these concerns were started by an e-mail hoax. There is no convincing evidence that antiperspirants and deodorants cause breast cancer."

I thought this had been debunked in the late 90's.

The cancer research quote above is a good one.

At the link there's a much longer examination of what they have looked into and why the answer is "nope, this is bollocks".

I read a book by the head of the French cancer programme which points out that if deoderant caused breast cancer, men would get it far more often too.

It would appear that everything in modern life causes some dreadful ailment, I heard in Tv the other day that coffee is now safe to drink! Who'd thought it! All jokes aside I'd never fill my knickers up with baby powder though, not that I ever did!

Agree with PPs, but for years I have avoided using using antiperspirants, etc which contain aluminium/ parabens, as I just feel happier not doing so.
I use Salt Of The Earth deodorant spray, and feel completely fresh and confident wearing that: from Holland and Barrett, or some other health stores.

It's antiperspirant that usually contains aluminium, not deodorant. Deodorants are a separate thing (although you will often find them together in a combined product).
Body spray is deodorant - which is why your body sprays don't have it.

It's up to you if you want to avoid it. I don't actually sweat much, & shower daily, so I'm fine with those crystal deodorant sticks, but a lot of people need something stronger. If there was real evidence to suggest that antiperspirants caused cancer I'm sure we'd all know about it & they'd have been reformulated by now.

My husband just sent me a link to this. There's a new study published by a team in Geneva. Statistically the place of the tumours is changing, whereas there used to be a homogeneous spread, there is now more (younger) people with tumours on the edge towards the armpit. I think the message was that it doesn't in itself cause cancer, but can aid its development if you're more susceptible to it. There's a tv clip, but it's in French. The researcher was Prof. André Sappino

www.researchgate.net/publication/221727680_Aluminium_chloride_promotes_anchorage-independent_growth_in_human_mammary_epithelial_cells

I thought the theory was that women shave their armpits, get small nicks in their skin and then the aluminium from antiperspirants enters the body that way. Men don't shave their armpits, so don't get exposed that way.

Certainly someone I know who had extensive treatment for breast cancer about 10 years ago was told of the possible link to aluminium in anti-perspirants by the hospital treating her, and has consequently avoided it since.

That link is quite scary it seems to show scientific studies claiming that it's true. If I'm reading it right?

And what's a crystal stick? Off to google it.

There's no real evidence. I know some people who were working on this in the 90's and the concentrations of the chemicals that were needed to cause a proliferation in breast cancer cells in culture were massive and wouldn't be reached in the human body. Some papers were published then. Can be found on Google Scholar.

The crystal deodorants are still aluminium salts, just not the extra concentrated version you find in regular anti-perspirants i.e. ammonium alum as opposed to ammonium chlorohydrate.

The scientific studies are unscientific. There is no link between deodorant and breast cancer.
There are quite strong links between even moderate alcohol consumption and several cancers including breast cancer though.
Interestingly the link to obesity is only in post menopausal women but often misquoted to pre menopausal fat women as a reason to lose weight.
Green tea doesn't work either but there is an incidental finding from a Harvard study that shows regular aspirin reduces risk levels.

Ooo I find this all so interesting.

Is there a cancer thread anywhere?

Why do you say they're unscientific crumbs? Are you saying the JAT would publish unscientific studies?

If they weren't unscientific, why the new fad from manufacturers to bring out so many new ones without Aluminium salts in?

If it was a new product that showed these results (tumours in rats, I believe) they would immediately stop production and insist on more tests before permitting it on the market. People used to think smoking was healthy...

I don't understand your comment about alcohol consumption being linked to breast cancer. Are you saying that because alcohol is linked, nothing else can be?

No but people get all excited about tenuous links and change lifestyles to 'reduce the risks' but fail to recognise the two most important factors as it's not something they want to recognise- exercise and alcohol consumption are most validated links outside of genetic constitution.

www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet

The myths are scaremongering and fail to educate women about the more obvious and genuine risks.

Just read this

Whilst in 1926 just over 30% of breast cancers started in the outer upper quadrants, in 1947–1967 it was between 43–48% and in 1994 already as many as 60.7%. This equates to a doubling of the relative frequency of cancer cases in the proximity of the armpit within just less than 70 years.

Accordingly, it was believed that only approx. 4 micro- grams of aluminium is absorbed each time a deodorant containing aluminium was used in both armpits.The investigation, upon which this assumption is based, stems from 2001 [9]. For a long time it was regarded as the main argument for the case proving that no quantity of aluminium worth mentioning is absorbed from deodorants. Thus hardly any further studies were conducted. The problem with this is that, at the time, only 2 persons were investigated: one man and one woman. Moreover, the results of the investigation showed considerable differences between the two test subjects.

If microwounds are caused by shaving then the protective layer of the skin is damaged. Although aluminium salts should in fact not be used on damaged skin, who is aware of this and who heeds this? Probably no one can say exactly how much aluminium is actually absorbed by the damaged skin. Nevertheless, results from a cell culture model do indicate an aluminium uptake 6–10 times greater than with intact skin

As the overwhelming number of female breast tumours are hormone-dependent, the hormone-like effect of aluminium and its compounds is of particular significance. Aluminium has the ability to bind with the oestrogen receptor and imitate oestrogen-related functions

Metallo- oestrogens also trigger changes in the oestrogen binding locations of the genes in the cell nucleus. In breast gland cells this leads to increased cell division. As a result, more errors in the reproduction of the DNA arise, which then has a correspondingly increased cancer risk.

If one now draws a parallel between metallo-oestrogens, oestrogen receptors and frequency of breast cancer, then the interesting question poses itself as to whether aluminium and other oestrogen-related metals are involved as the original cause or partial cause in 70% of the high risk breast cancer cases. The question probably cannot be answered with any great certainty but it does allow an insight into the dimensions of the difficulties faced.

Given everything that has so far become known, it must be demanded that the possible health risks from deodorants containing aluminium should be taken seriously enough to protect consumers as far as possible.

One of the authors is the President of the International Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology (NGO), Scientific Advisor of the German Medical Association of Clinical Metal Toxicology (NGO)

That's sciency enough for me. Published around the time your link was reviewed, which seems a little sparse on the references, only 9?

I'm not convinced that if a new product was brought into being with such a question mark over it, that it would be allowed to be sold. It's enough for me to be wary. Are you saying that only if we have moderate alcohol consumption (is two bottles of wine a month ok?) and exercise regularly are we allowed to be concerned with aluminium in deodourants?

And this Aluminium salts are used as the active antiperspirant agent in underarm cosmetics, but the effects of widespread, long term and increasing use remain unknown, especially in relation to the breast, which is a local area of application. Clinical studies showing a disproportionately high incidence of breast cancer in the upper outer quadrant of the breast together with reports of genomic instability in outer quadrants of the breast provide supporting evidence for a role for locally applied cosmetic chemicals in the development of breast cancer. Aluminium is known to have a genotoxic profile, capable of causing both DNA alterations and epigenetic effects, and this would be consistent with a potential role in breast cancer if such effects occurred in breast cells. is from a paper published in 2005 . Why has there been so little work done in this area?

Expert reaction to that piece of scaremongering here www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-study-of-tumorigenesis-in-mouse-mammary-cells-treated-with-aluminium/ , the researchers only got results using mice who were susceptible to negative changes. Healthy mice cells showed no ill effects. Nothing to see here, move along.

Is it scaremongering though? The authors are calling for further investigation because as yet there are no studies on the effects. They seem to be refuting it by saying it's unlikely to penetrate deep into breast tissue but there aren't any studies to say it doesn't. They don't give any references.

And where does that leave women who could be susceptible to negative changes?

It leaves them living their lives knowing the impact of deodorant is refuted and all clinical advice is that not using deodorant containing aluminium is a personal,choice that is unlikely to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer. The premenopausal risk is quite low for women who don't carry the BRCA gene and can be further reduced by exercising and restricting alcohol intake. Early diagnosis usually results in a cure sombrast self examination is also more effective in long term outcomes.
If you're worrying simply don't use the deodorant but don't believe that is going to make much difference. Hyping everyone up about something like deodorant just increases anxiety levels in susceptible women.

Just started a thread asking for recommendations for my dd (10). Just deodorant or antiperspirant/deodorant? Sorry for the hijack but ... any suggestions?

I'd go antiperspirant as armpit patches are not a good look.

Ta. I thought that too

crumbs as far as I can see, it's neither been proved nor refuted. That's why they are recommending more studies to be carried out.

Something not being proved is not the same as something being refuted.

There does seem to be a difference now in the sites of tumours. More are now on the areas closer to the armpit. There is, as far as I can see, no alternative suggestions as to why this is the case.