Antiperspirants

Antiperspirants

Internet e-mail rumors have suggested that chemicals in underarm antiperspirants are
absorbed through the skin, interfere with lymph circulation, cause toxins to build up in
the breast, and eventually lead to breast cancer.
There is very little evidence to support this rumor. One small study found trace levels of
parabens (used as preservatives in antiperspirants and other products), which have weak
estrogen-like properties, in a small sample of breast cancer tumors. But this study did not
look at whether parabens caused the tumors. This was a preliminary finding, and more
research is needed to determine what effect, if any, parabens may have on breast cancer
risk. On the other hand, a large study of breast cancer causes found no increase in breast
cancer in women who used underarm antiperspirants and/or shaved their underarms.
Bras
Internet e-mail rumors and at least one book have suggested that bras cause breast cancer
by obstructing lymph flow. There is no good scientific or clinical basis for this claim.
Women who do not wear bras regularly are more likely to be thinner or have less dense
breasts, which would probably contribute to any perceived difference in risk.
Induced abortion
Several studies have provided very strong data that neither induced abortions nor
spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) have an overall effect on the risk of breast cancer.
For more detailed information, see our document, Is Abortion Linked to Breast Cancer?
Breast implants
Several studies have found that breast implants do not increase the risk of breast cancer,
although silicone breast implants can cause scar tissue to form in the breast. Implants
make it harder to see breast tissue on standard mammograms, but additional x-ray
pictures called implant displacement views can be used to examine the breast tissue more
completely.
Breast implants may be linked to a rare type of lymphoma called anaplastic large cell
lymphoma. This lymphoma has rarely been found in the breast tissue around the
implants. So far, though, there are too few cases to know if the risk of this lymphoma is
really higher in women that have implants.