Document EEjz0jDN1wE0gq6p3LGwgOg4

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1972 Mar 22 DOC TALC060 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Letter to FDA from Barry Castleman Questioning What the FDA is Doing to Research the Carcinogenicity of Talcs March 22 1972 Food and Drug Administration Department of Health Education 5600 Tishers Lane Rockville Maryland 20352 and Welfare Attention Mr. John P. Palmer Bureau of Drugs M.D. Deputy Director Dear Dr. Palmer I am writing to find out what the FDA is doing to research the suspected carcinogenicity of tales with and without tremolite asbestos and what measures are being taken to safeguard the public against exposure to containing consumer products building materials fabrics etc. As you probably know the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has just published the document Criteria for a Recommended Standard ..... Occupational Exposure to Asbestos The closing remark in section V Development of Standard reads Thus the effect after several decades of a time acute dose of limited duration which overwhelus the clearing mechanism and in retained in the lungs may be as harmful carcin- ogenic as the cumulative effect of lower daily years of work Asbestos is known to have been including filter media for production of drugs doses of exposure over many used in over 3000 applications cheap cigars home holler cheap insulation resistant clothing paper products sprayed fireproofing _ insulation and numerous building products ; Talc is mineralogically similar to asbestos and in a survey of 51 commercial talcs in 1942 17 were found to have greater than trace amounts of tremolite asbestos which frequently occurs combined with talc deposits Recent publications have pointed out the possibility of talc causing ovarian cancer and stomach cancer in Japan However as far as I know no one has been able to firmly establish talc as being either carcinogenic or harmless The most disturbing use of talc I know 46 is hygiene sprays Also some cosmetic powders in recently have strikingly high f^'minine fibrous content content Any information you can send about the FDA's activities on asbestos and tale will be deeply appreciated Sincerely yours ce BIC Pr Pr Earl eyers Jerome Goldstein Cotton Cotton CottoCnot on Cotton Cotton CottoContton Barry L Castleman Division of Air Pollution and Industrial Hygiene Sureau of Environmental Services