# Chemicals Common in Cosmetics Found in Breast Tumors **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 13, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300 "2004-01-13T20:37:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/1 "2004-01-13T20:37:00Z")
[Link](http://health.discovery.com/news/healthscout/article.jsp?aid=516893) :eek: > [@](#): > > The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has called parabens the most widely used preservatives in the United States, common in shampoos, foundations, facial masks, hair-grooming aids, nail creams, and permanent wave products. Different animal and laboratory studies have previously shown that parabens can mimic the actions of the hormone estrogen. That has raised red flags because estrogen is known to fuel breast cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/2 "2004-01-14T03:33:18Z")
And for years we were told deodorant DOESN’T cause breast cancer? Okay, now I’m freaked. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/3 "2004-01-14T18:21:23Z")
Chill, **Guin**. Just because it was found in the tumors doesn’t mean that it _caused_ the tumors, or that the two are related in any way at all. C’mon, a certain percentage of people with lung cancer test positive for the influenza virus. That doesn’t mean flu gives you lung cancer. ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/4 "2004-01-14T21:02:40Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Chill, **Guin**. Just because it was found in the tumors doesn’t mean that it _caused_ the tumors, or that the two are related in any way at all. > > C’mon, a certain percentage of people with lung cancer test positive for the influenza virus. That doesn’t mean flu gives you lung cancer. Still, it is worrisome. No, it does not necessarily point to it _causing_ the tumors, but the fact that it is concentrated there is very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/5 "2004-01-15T01:48:57Z")
Other cancer researchers have played down the new findings: > **[Newsday | Long Island's & NYC's News Source](https://www.newsday.com)** > > Breaking News, data & opinions in business, sports, entertainment, travel, lifestyle, plus much more. Newsday.com is the leading news source for Long Island & NYC. > [@](#): > > However, Dr. Patrick Borgen, chief of breast surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, said the study was flawed because it did not compare levels of parabens in the breasts of cancer patients with levels in healthy women. Borgen said there’s no need for women to throw their deodorant away. > > … > > “It’s important to point out that neither the paper nor the editorial [about the study] that appeared in the journal made any claim that deodorant causes cancer,” Borgen said, noting that stress and diet can also affect estrogens in the body. Also: [http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=480357](http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health/story.jsp?story=480357) > [@](#): > > Dr Richard Sullivan, of Cancer Research UK, said: “Although this is an interesting study it should be noted the sample size is very small. No causal relationship has ever been found between underarm cosmetics containing parabens and breast cancer.” ---
**Author:** ![liirogue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dbc845/32.png) [@liirogue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liirogue)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/6 "2004-01-15T02:42:42Z")
Interesting. Thank you for posting that **Jervoise** ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/7 "2004-01-15T06:17:04Z")
Now I’m glad I don’t wear makeup! ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/8 "2004-01-15T06:24:52Z")
> [@liirogue](#): > > Still, it is worrisome. No, it does not necessarily point to it _causing_ the tumors, but the fact that it is concentrated there is very interesting. Even scarier is the concentrations of [dihydrogen monoxide](http://www.dhmo.org/cancer.html): > [@](#): > > Dihydrogen Monoxide and Cancer > The causative link between Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) and Cancer is currently not established, although a significant amount of evidence seems to suggest that DHMO at least plays a role in the formation of cancer, including: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, > Ewing’s Tumor, > chondrosarcoma, > fibrosarcoma, > multiple myeloma, > colorectal cancer, > Leukemia, > basal cell carcinoma, > squamous cell carcinoma, and > malignant melanoma. > > Detection and Treatment > What is known about these cancers is that Dihydrogen Monoxide is found in detectable and biologically significant levels in virtually all tumors and other cancerous and pre-cancerous growths. :eek: :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/9 "2004-01-15T11:53:38Z")
A sample size of 20 is not nearly sufficient to make any sort of determination of cause and effect in this sort of thing. There has been only one study, which may or may not have been a statistical fluke (especially with such a small sample). This study and its results would have to be repeated multiple times to be considered authoritative. Only 25% of the tumors in this study had paraben levels “above average” - so… what about the other 75%? And wasn’t it stated that no one had done this sort of research before? In which case, how in the heck could an “average” level be known? In other words, this wasn’t particularly rigorous science. It’s interesting, but proves nothing. Some journalist caught wind of this project and went for a catchy headline. It’s called scare-mongering. Until the results are replicated, I wouldn’t pay any attention to it. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/10 "2004-01-15T12:10:07Z")
Ok… but I want to know… do white rats cause cancer? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/11 "2004-01-15T14:49:29Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > Ok… but I want to know… > > do white rats cause cancer? No, scientists cause cancer in white rats 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chemicals-common-in-cosmetics-found-in-breast-tumors/224300/12 "2004-01-15T20:06:34Z")
No, no, cancer in white rats causes scientists. I mean, look at the concentrations of white rat cancer associated with some scientists.