Relationship between everyday use cosmetics and female breast cancer

Abstract

Data of the European Cancer Registries indicate that the incidence of breast cancer, which is the most common cancer among women, tends to increase not only in postmenopausal but also in very young women. The potential causes of breast cancer are genetic predisposition, long -term hormonal replacement therapy, alcohol, environmental pollution, and possibly modern lifestyle. The controversial results of several studies suggest that certain everyday-use products (including cosmetic ingredients) may be linked to breast cancer. Some of these ingredients, such as ethylene oxide, have recently been classified by the International Agency for Research for Cancer as carcinogenic and mutagenic to humans, with sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity for breast cancer. Other ingredients, such as xenoestrogens, are chemicals which have an estrogen -like effect or disrupt the normal metabolism of the natural estrogen and thus act as carcinogens. Some of them have been shown to result in DNA damage in animal and human mammary epithelial cells and, therefore, have the potential to generate genomic instability in the breast tissue. Examples of xenoestrogens with such properties include parabens, aluminium salts, phthalates, or bisophenol A. No sufficient epidemiological data on humans have been published so far, and the effects of a mixture of chemicals to which women are exposed during lifetime on the incidence of breast cancer have not been investigated. However, the results of the available studies emphasize the need for analysis of adverse environmental factors, which, in addition to a genetic predisposition and natural aging, may contribute to the increased incidence of breast cancer.

Environmental Exposures during Puberty: Window of Breast Cancer Risk and Epigenetic Damage

“…From 2004 to 2017, 10,726 adverse event cases have been reported to the FDA [58]; further, 41% of these cases (4427) were cancer-related adverse events associated with cosmetics. Despite the lack of research behind toxicity in cosmetic products, common cosmetics and personal care products have been found to contain chemicals that increases an individual's risk for contact dermatitis, birth defects in pregnant women, hormone disruption in children and adolescents, and even cancer [51,[59][60][61]. These chemicals include but are not limited to diethanolamine (DEA), phthalates, formaldehyde, parabens, bisphenol A (BPA), ethylene oxide and aluminum salts.…”

The Role of Endocrine Disruptors on Metabolic Dysfunction

“…Another important group of EDCs are the plasticizers, such as phthalates and bisphenol A, used in plastic materials, normally to increase their flexibility, as well as in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products [33][34][35][36][37][38]. As they do not usually accumulate in the body tissues and have very short half-lives.…”

Do deodorants/underarm cosmetics cause cancer?

“…Ayrıca, düşük dozda sistemik olarak absorbe edilen kimyasalların birikmesi ve meme bölgesine yayılması da olası bir seçenektir 13,[25][26][27] . Bununla birlikte yukarıdaki klinik çalışmalarda, parabenler ve meme kanseri gelişimi arasında net bir korelasyon belirlenmemiştir 28 . Alüminyum bazlı bileşikler antiperspirantlarda etken madde olarak kullanılmaktadır.…”

“…Darbre 10 ve Harvey 12 , meme kanseri ile (paraben ve alüminyum içeren) koltuk altı kozmetiklerinin kullanımını doğrudan ele almaya yönelik iki epidemiyolojik çalışma bildirmişlerdir. Öte yandan diğer birçok çalışmada, meme kanseri riski ve antiperspirant kullanımı arasında ilişki bulunmamıştır 3,5,13,22,[24][25][26][27][28]30,31 . Meme kanseri hastaları ve etkilenmemiş kontroller arasında güncel antiperspirant/deodorant kullanımından kaynaklanan bir fark yoktur 28 .…”