Ovarian Cancer Risk

Talc-based powder use may increase ovarian cancer risk by 30%. MedPage Today (4/7, Bankhead) reported that the "use of talc-based powder significantly increases the risk of invasive ovarian," according to findings presented at the American Association for Cancer Research. The researchers analyzed data from a "case-control study involving more than 2,000 women with ovarian cancer and a similar number of women without the cancer." Talc applications were estimated from "patient-reported frequency and duration of use." After adjusting for "age, parity, oral contraceptive use, tubal ligation," BMI, smoking or alcohol use, and ethnic/racial or familial breast or ovarian cancer history, the study team performed analyses for cases of nonmuscinous-invasive, nonserous-invasive, and serous-invasive cancer. They found that for all analyses, talc use was associated with "an increased prevalence of ovarian cancer; the magnitude of the difference between users and nonusers ranged between 20% and 40%, most often about 30%."