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Hot topic - Deodorants, antiperspirants and breast cancer risk

13 January 2004 - written by Bupa's Health Information Team

The UK press has been filled with reports of a study that has been claimed to link underarm deodorants and antiperspirants with breast cancer. The research was published in the Journal of Applied Toxicology on 8 January 2004.

How common is breast cancer in the UK?

More than 40,989 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK, making it the most cancer in women.

One in nine women will develop the disease at some time in her life, but it is mostly a disease that affects women over 50. Breast cancer can occur in men, but is roughly 100 times less common than in women.

What is the latest research?

A small study of 20 breast cancer tissue samples looked at the amount of a certain set of chemicals that had accumulated in them. The study was looking for the levels of a range of chemicals from underarm deodorants and antiperspirants, known as parabens. The research was carried out at the University of Reading on breast cancer tissue samples given by the Edinburgh Breast Unit Research Group.

The researchers found that parabens were present in 18 out of the 20 breast cancer tissue samples.

Does this prove that deodorants cause breast cancer?

No. At the moment there is no evidence to suggest that parabens cause breast cancer to develop. All that is known is that these chemicals are present in some breast cancers. No direct link between deodorants and antiperspirants and breast cancer has ever been shown.

What are parabens?

Parabens are chemicals that are found in a wide range of household products (including cosmetics and food) and deodorants and antiperspirants. They have an antimicrobial action that means that they are used as preservatives.

Why did the scientists study parabens levels in breast cancer tissue?

It is known that the female hormone oestrogen is a factor in the formation and growth of some breast tumours. This is one of the reasons why breast cancer is more common in women than in men.

The researchers who carried out this study argue that parabens work on the body in same way as oestrogen and may help breast cancer tumours to grow.

Are parabens found elsewhere in the body - for example in non-cancerous tissues?

At the moment this is not known, because the study only looked at breast cancer tissue samples.

What will further study of parabens levels tell us?

If further research finds that parabens are found at similar levels in the tissue of the healthy breast of women who have breast cancer, this may suggest that the chemicals do not play a major role in the development of breast cancer.

Equally, if further research finds that parabens are present at similar levels in the breast tissue of women who do not have breast cancer, but have used paraben-containing deodorants or antiperspirants for a similar length of time, this will suggest that the chemicals do not play a major role in breast cancer formation.

What does this mean?

• at the moment, all that can be said with certainty is that the body absorbs parabens (possibly from deodorants and antiperspirants but possibly from other sources too).
• it can be said that parabens are found in some breast cancers.
• it is not possible to say with certainty where these parabens came from - they may not have come from deodorants or antiperspirants but from other household sources. However, the parabens were found in a form that suggests that they entered through the skin, as opposed to being eaten or swallowed.
• it is not possible to say that parabens only accumulates in the breast. At the moment the chemicals' presence in other body tissues (and healthy breast tissue) has not been studied.
• it is not possible to say that parabens cause cancer to develop. Equally is it not possible to say that deodorants or antiperspirants cause cancer.

What are the known risk factors for breast cancer?

The causes of breast cancer are not yet completely understood but there are certain factors known to increase the risk. These include:

• age - approximately 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are over 50 years of age.
• family history - women whose mother, sister or daughter developed breast cancer have double the risk of developing the disease. If any of these relatives developed breast cancer before menopause, this adds to the risk.
• cancer in one breast - if a woman has had cancer in one breast already, there is an increased risk of developing a new cancer in the other breast.
• age when periods started - If periods started early (before age 12) or if menopause happened after age 50.
• age at first pregnancy - women who do not have children or who have their first child after the age of 30.
• exposure to radiation - such as radiotherapy at a young age, eg for treatment of Hodgkin's disease.
• taking hormones - women who take the pill or are on HRT have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer (while the risk of other cancers is reduced).
• obesity - there is some evidence to suggest that being very overweight can contribute to the risk.
• diet - diets that are high in fat and alcohol are linked to an increased risk of breast cancer.
• not breast-feeding - there is evidence that women who breast feed are at less risk of developing breast cancer.

For more information on breast cancer, please use the links below.

Links for more information

• Bupa's breast cancer factsheet
• Bupa's breast awareness and screening factsheet
• CancerBACUP's breast cancer information
• CancerHelp UK's breast cancer information

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