Stomach Cancer and Exposure to Talc Powder without Asbestos via Chinese Herbal Medicine: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Abstract

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.

Supplement Use and Increased Risks of Cancer: Unveiling the Other Side of the Coin

“…Most of the studies on the health benefits of the supplementation of micronutrients, especially in vitro studies, used highly concentrated or purified preparations of the micronutrients delivered directly or through a safe vehicle. Dietary supplements include several additives for different purposes, which can be associated with adverse effects on their own [ 57 ], specifically in the light of a lack of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Other considerations regarding these studies are the dosage and study population.…”

Chemical pleurodesis with Viscum album L. extract for secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in elderly patients

“…Also, in the case of talc powder, very careful attention is required when applying it because it can cause cancers (30,31). Viscum album L. extract has been used as an auxiliary herbal medication for cancer treatment for more than 80 years in Europe (32), particularly against malignant pleural effusion, after successful chemical pleurodesis with bleomycin (2,10).…”

Environmental factors associated with gastric carcinogenesis

“…Several investigators have explored the link between talc and cancer with a recent publication concluding that exposure to talc was associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (1.21 (95% CI: 1.03-1.42, P ¼ 0.02) [25]. Earlier, a population-based cohort study in Taiwan with a population of 1,000,000 showed a HR of 2.13, 95% CI 1.54-2.94, P < 0.001 [26].…”