Document gDEGDLB4OZq4ONDzo1Na06LB9

FILE NAME Talc TALC DATE 1982 Aug 6 DOC TALC025 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION Newspaper Article - Study Links Talcum Powder Use to Ovarian Cancer SSutn udy links talcum powder use to ovarianovarian cancer Boston -Talcum powder has been linked to ovarian cancer in a study that found women who dusted their genitals and sanitary napkins with talc were three times as likely to develop tumors The study done by Brigham and Women's Hospital here compared the hygiene habits of 215 Boston women who had ovarian cancer to a control group of 215 healthy women It found that 32 women with the cancer used talcum powder on their genitals and sanitary napkins Only 13 of the women in the cancer group used the talc in that way Other factors considered in the study raise the risk of ovarian cancer to 3.28 times greater for women who use talc than for women who don't the report said The survey found that women whose genitals had some exposure to talcum power had almost a fold cancer risk The study was the first of its kind to link talc use to ovarian cancer the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women An estimated 18,000 cases are diagnosed a year and 12,000 women die from the disease annually Dr. Daniel W. Cramer the obstet- rician and gynecologist who wrote of the findings in the July edition of the journal Cancer said further studies are needed before doctors could recommend that women should not use talc We would like to see other re- searchers find the same thing and we would like to see animal experi- ments he said But he said he now advises pa- tients to use other products such as cornstarch powders or creams " do make a comment that maybe it isn't such a good idea to use talc he said I think the evidence is rather tenuous in relationship to talc and ovarian cancer but the use of talc on the gentials has rather marginal benefits so I caution my patients He said most of the body powders on the market are based and the ingredients usually are marked Dr. Cramer said tale is a magnesi- um silicate similar to asbestos which has been linked to lung cancer Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore Baltimore BBaallttiimmoroere Aug. Sun SunSun Sun 6 1982 Aug. Aug. Aug.