Asbestos Contamination in Talc-Based Cosmetics: An Invisible Cancer Risk.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Stoiber T
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7691901 | biostudies-literature | 2020
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Asbestos Contamination in Talc-Based Cosmetics: An Invisible Cancer Risk.
Stoiber Tasha T Fitzgerald Sean S Leiba Nneka S NS
Environmental health insights 20201124
The lack of regulation and adequate testing of talc-containing personal care products in the U.S. has resulted in the contamination of cosmetics with asbestos. As such, the true exposure of consumers to asbestos is poorly characterized and likely underestimated. In this study, transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that 3 of 21 powder-based cosmetic products tested were contaminated with amphibole asbestos. One of these contaminated products is expressly marketed for use by children. ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:The present investigation was designed to explore the risk of stomach cancer by oral intake of talc powder without asbestos. We conducted a population-based cohort study on a randomly sampled cohort from Taiwan's health insurance database, with population of 1,000,000. The study participants were followed up through 2013. The outcome event of interest was the diagnosis of stomach cancer. The exposure of interest was the prescription of talc powder. Cox regression analyses were performed respectively. There were 584,077 persons without talc exposure and 21,575 talc users, 1849 diagnosed with stomach cancer. Persons with exposure of talc had a higher hazard ratio of stomach cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.13; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.54?2.94; p < 0.001). Classification by cumulative exposure of talc yielded adjusted hazard ratios of stomach cancer of 1.58 (95% CI, 0.79?3.17; p = 0.19) and 2.30 (95% CI, 1.48?3.57; p < 0.001) among persons with high (>21 g) and medium (6?21 g) exposure of talc, as compared to the low-exposure counterparts. Our data demonstrated positive association between increased risk of stomach cancer and oral intake of talc without asbestos. Despite the absence of dose-response effect, there might be a link between stomach cancer and talc.
| S-EPMC6427112 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The talc industry and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have asserted that talc has been asbestos-free since 1976 when the industry created a voluntary specification for the asbestos content of cosmetic talc. However, recent evidence reveals that cosmetic talc is not and never was asbestos-free. This narrative review examines the talc industry's role in delaying and ultimately blocking federal regulation of cosmetic talc from the 1970s to today. We review primary source material, including corporate documents released in recent litigation and FDA documents released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. Our results indicate that the talc industry exerted considerable influence over three key areas: regulatory proceedings at the FDA; testing methods and the manipulation of test results (including undisclosed results); and press coverage and the medical literature. The talc companies' actions and FDA indifference have had a lasting effect on consumer health, including the regulation of talc by other government agencies.
| S-EPMC8261788 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Douching was recently reported to be associated with elevated levels of urinary metabolites of endocrine disrupting phthalates, but there is no literature on douching in relation to ovarian cancer. Numerous case-control studies of genital talc use have reported an increased risk of ovarian cancer, but prospective cohort studies have not uniformly confirmed this association. Behavioral correlation between talc use and douching could produce confounding. METHODS:The Sister Study (2003-2009) enrolled and followed 50,884 women in the US and Puerto Rico who had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer. At baseline, participants were asked about douching and talc use during the previous 12 months. During follow-up (median of 6.6 years), 154 participants reported a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. We computed adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ovarian cancer risk using the Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS:There was little association between baseline perineal talc use and subsequent ovarian cancer (HR: 0.73, CI: 0.44, 1.2). Douching was more common among talc users (odds ratio: 2.1, CI: 2.0, 2.3), and douching at baseline was associated with increased subsequent risk of ovarian cancer (HR: 1.8, CI: 1.2, 2.8). CONCLUSIONS:Douching but not talc use was associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer in the Sister Study.
| S-EPMC5141580 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Customized cosmetics made by consumers or sellers on-the-spot have several safety issues, and therefore require a preventative approach to their safety management. The present study aimed to identify potential factors affecting the safety of customized cosmetics made on-the-spot. Heavy metals and microbial contaminants in customized cosmetics were analyzed in 120 samples. It was revealed that the transfer of cosmetics to new containers during the production process is a significant risk factor for cross-contamination and that heat treatment is crucial for reducing the number of microorganisms in the products. For instance, cosmetics made with heat and with no transfer showed relatively low microbial counts ranging from not detected to 440 CFU/ml. The high pH (>pH 10) of samples did not guarantee the microbial safety of the freshly made cosmetics (with a rinse-off product having 2,830 CFU/ml and a pH of 11.2). There was no significant difference in microbial counts among cosmetic types (P?>?0.05); however, semisolid types, especially creams and rinse-off products, were susceptible to contamination (maximum 2,710 and 2,830 CFU/ml, respectively). Most microorganisms in the customized cosmetics (40.8%) decreased to non-detectable levels during 60 days of storage. None of the samples harbored heavy metals. Sequencing analysis of isolates revealed some bacteria and mold that could cause human infections. The results of this study suggest that the regulation of customized cosmetics should consider the risk factors revealed in this study, as the products made on-the-spot are also final products sent directly to consumers.
| S-EPMC6994525 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Epidemiologic evidence suggests a possible association between genital use of talcum powder and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer; however, the biological basis for this association is not clear. We analyzed interactions between talc use and genes in detoxification pathways [glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), glutathione S-transferase T1 (GSTT1), and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2)] to assess whether the talc/ovarian cancer association is modified by variants of genes potentially involved in the response to talc. Our analysis included 1,175 cases and 1,202 controls from a New England-based case-control study and 210 cases and 600 controls from the prospective Nurses' Health Study. We genotyped participants for the GSTM1 and GSTT1 gene deletions and three NAT2 polymorphisms. We used logistic regression to analyze the main effect of talc use, genotype, and gene-talc interactions in each population and pooled the estimates using a random-effects model. Regular talc use was associated with increased ovarian cancer risk in the combined study population (RR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.14-1.63; P(trend) < 0.001). Independent of talc, the genes examined were not clearly associated with risk. However, the talc/ovarian cancer association varied by GSTT1 genotype and combined GSTM1/GSTT1 genotype. In the pooled analysis, the association with talc was stronger among women with the GSTT1-null genotype (P(interaction) = 0.03), particularly in combination with the GSTM1-present genotype (P(interaction) = 0.03). There was no clear evidence of an interaction with GSTM1 alone or NAT2. These results suggest that women with certain genetic variants may have a higher risk of ovarian cancer associated with genital talc use. Additional research is needed on these interactions and the underlying biological mechanisms.
| S-EPMC2630413 | biostudies-literature
Project description:While human papillomavirus is the primary cause of cervical cancer, other factors may influence susceptibility and response to the virus. Candidates include douching and talcum powder applied in the genital area. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate confounder-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the Sister Study (2003-2009), a US cohort of women aged 35-74. We considered pre-baseline (n = 523) and incident (n = 31) cervical cancers. Douching at ages 10-13 was positively associated with pre-baseline cervical cancer (HR 1.32, 95% CI 0.86-2.03), though the association was not statistically significant. We did not observe an association between adolescent talc use and pre-baseline cervical cancer (HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.76-1.19). Douching in the year before enrollment was positively associated with incident cervical cancer (HR 2.56, 95% CI 1.10-5.99). The association between recent genital talc use and incident cervical cancer was positive, but not statistically significant (HR 1.79, 95% CI 0.78-4.11). The observed positive association between douching and incident cervical cancer is consistent with previous retrospective case-control studies. In the first study to examine genital talc use and cervical cancer, we did not see evidence of an association.
| S-EPMC8295379 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTalc is widely used in industrial applications. Previous meta-analyses of carcinogenic effects associated with inhaled talc included publications before 2004, with a lack of data in China, the largest talc-producing country. The safety of workers exposed to talc was unclear due to limited evidence. The objective of this study was to reevaluate the association between inhaled talc and lung cancer.Setting participants and outcome measuresA meta-analysis was performed to calculate the meta-SMR of lung cancer. We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CNKI, and Wanfang Data databases through March 2017. Data from observational studies were pooled using meta-analysis with random effects models.ResultsFourteen observational cohort studies (13 publications) were located via literature search. The heterogeneity of the included data was high (I-squared = 72.9%). Pooling all the cohorts yielded a meta-SMR of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.22-1.72, p < 0.0001) for lung cancer among the study subjects exposed to talc. Subgroup analysis for asbestos contamination showed no significant difference in lung cancer death between subjects exposed to talc with and without asbestos (p = 0.8680), indicating that this confounding factor may have no significance.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence that nonasbestiform talc might still increase the risk of lung cancer. Further epidemiological studies are required to evaluate the safety of workers with occupational talc exposure.
| S-EPMC5610800 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Silica and asbestos are recognized lung carcinogens. However, their role in carcinogenesis at other organs is less clear. Clearance of inhaled silica particles and asbestos fibers from the lungs may lead to translocation to sites such as the bladder where they may initiate carcinogenesis. We used data from a Canadian population-based case-control study to evaluate the associations between these workplace exposures and bladder cancer. METHODS:Data from a population-based case-control study were used to characterize associations between workplace exposure to silica and asbestos and bladder cancer among men. Bladder cancer cases (N =?658) and age-frequency matched controls (N =?1360) were recruited within the National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System from eight Canadian provinces (1994-97). Exposure concentration, frequency and reliability for silica and asbestos were assigned to each job, based on lifetime occupational histories, using a combination of job-exposure profiles and expert review. Exposure was modeled as ever/never, highest attained concentration, duration (years), highest attained frequency (% worktime) and cumulative exposure. Odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using adjusted logistic regression. RESULTS:A modest (approximately 20%) increase in bladder cancer risk was found for ever having been exposed to silica, highest attained concentration and frequency of exposure but this increase was not statistically significant. Relative to unexposed, the odds of bladder cancer were 1.41 (95%CI: 1.01-1.98) times higher among men exposed to silica at work for ?27?years. For asbestos, relative to unexposed, an increased risk of bladder cancer was observed for those first exposed ?20?years ago (OR:2.04, 95%CI:1.25-3.34), those with a frequency of exposure of 5-30% of worktime (OR:1.45, 95%CI:1.06-1.98), and for those with <?10?years of exposure at low concentrations (OR:1.75, 95%CI:1.10-2.77) and the lower tertile of cumulative exposure (OR:1.69, 95%CI:1.07-2.65). However, no clear exposure-response relationships emerged. CONCLUSIONS:Our results indicate a slight increase in risk of bladder cancer with exposure to silica and asbestos, suggesting that the effects of these agents are broader than currently recognized. The findings from this study inform evidence-based action to enhance cancer prevention efforts, particularly for workers in industries with regular exposure.
| S-EPMC7055116 | biostudies-literature
Project description:affy_xoo_rice - affy_xoo_rice - The Bacterial Leaf Blight disease of rice is due to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. As for many pathogenic bacteria, it relies on a type 3 secretion system that is devoted to the injection of type 3 effectors into the eukaryotic host cell. These proteins are meant to suppress host basal defense responses and/or mimic some host regulatory function promoting bacterial survey in the plant. We are interested in the functional analysis of a subgroup of Xoo T3Es, that are specialized in host cell transcriptome remodelling. These effectors, therefore called TAL for Transcription Activator-Like proteins (also named AvrBs3/PthA-like), are often key virulence factors essential to Xoo pathogenicity such as the effector protein Talc of african Xoo strain BAI3. Our goal is to understand its function during disease development, by identifying rice host genes that are being directly up- or down-regulated by Talc. To that end, we aim at performing Affymetrix transcriptomic analysis, comparing leaf samples of a susceptible rice line inoculated with Xoo to leaves challenged with a Talc-deficient mutant and water-treated leaves. Highly induced genes are likely to be Talc primary targets and therefore potentially good susceptibility gene candidates.-The goal of the experiment is to identify the rice genes up- or down-regulated by the type III effector Talc from Xoo African strain BAI3, upon the inoculation of susceptible rice leaves 24 hours post-infection. To that end, the experimental design includes the inoculation of Nipponbare rice leaves with the virulent Xoo strain BAI3, that will be compared to Nipponbare rice leaves inoculated with a talc K.O. mutant strain and water. Keywords: wt vs virulence mutant
2010-12-01 | GSE19844 | GEO
Project description:affy_xoo_rice - affy_xoo_rice - The Bacterial Leaf Blight disease of rice is due to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae. As for many pathogenic bacteria, it relies on a type 3 secretion system that is devoted to the injection of type 3 effectors into the eukaryotic host cell. These proteins are meant to suppress host basal defense responses and/or mimic some host regulatory function promoting bacterial survey in the plant. We are interested in the functional analysis of a subgroup of Xoo T3Es, that are specialized in host cell transcriptome remodelling. These effectors, therefore called TAL for Transcription Activator-Like proteins (also named AvrBs3/PthA-like), are often key virulence factors essential to Xoo pathogenicity such as the effector protein Talc of african Xoo strain BAI3. Our goal is to understand its function during disease development, by identifying rice host genes that are being directly up- or down-regulated by Talc. To that end, we aim at performing Affymetrix transcriptomic analysis, comparing leaf samples of a susceptible rice line inoculated with Xoo to leaves challenged with a Talc-deficient mutant and water-treated leaves. Highly induced genes are likely to be Talc primary targets and therefore potentially good susceptibility gene candidates.-The goal of the experiment is to identify the rice genes up- or down-regulated by the type III effector Talc from Xoo African strain BAI3, upon the inoculation of susceptible rice leaves 24 hours post-infection. To that end, the experimental design includes the inoculation of Nipponbare rice leaves with the virulent Xoo strain BAI3, that will be compared to Nipponbare rice leaves inoculated with a talc K.O. mutant strain and water. Keywords: wt vs virulence mutant 9 arrays - rice
2010-12-01 | E-GEOD-19844 | biostudies-arrayexpress