London, Sept. 27: Women should stop using talcum powder because of the risk of ovarian cancer, according to researchers.
Scientists fear particles applied to the private parts may travel to the ovaries and trigger a process of inflammation that allows cancer cells to flourish.
Although previous studies have raised concerns over talc, the latest findings from the US suggest woman who use it are 40 per cent more likely to get ovarian cancer — a much greater risk than first thought.
Experts from Harvard Medical School in Boston studied more than 3,000 women and found using talc merely once a week raised the risk of cancer by 36 per cent, rising to 41 per cent for those applying powder every day.
Dr Maggie Gates, who led the study, said that until the outcome of further research women should avoid using talc in the genital area. An alternative is cornstarch powder.
But Dr Jodie Moffat of Cancer Research UK said: It is important to remember that very few women who use talcum powder will ever develop ovarian cancer.
The study revealed that the risks were greater still for those with a certain genetic profile. Women carrying a gene called glutathione S-transferase M1, or GSTM1, but lacking a gene called glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1), were nearly three times as likely to develop tumours.
Talc is made from a soft mineral called hydrous magnesium silicate, which is found throughout the world. It is crushed, dried and milled to produce powder used in cosmetic products by millions. Some experts say it has chemical similarities to asbestos, which can cause a deadly form of lung cancer.
The findings, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, apply only to talcum powder used around the private parts, not on the rest of the body.
Laboratory tests show ovarian cells exposed to talc divide more rapidly — a characteristic sign of cancer.
But until recently there was no proof that powder could travel through a womans reproductive tract as far as the pelvis and then on to the ovaries.
However, last year, a separate group of doctors at Harvard Medical School identified tiny particles of powder in the pelvis of a 68-year-old woman with advanced ovarian cancer who had used talc every day for 30 years.
The main risk factors include a family history of the disease, having already had breast cancer and starting periods at a young age.
Women who are overweight or use hormone replacement therapy are also thought to be more at risk.