Analyzing the correlation between the possible increased cancer risk by

deodorant/antiperspirant

By Annie Statkus

For
Michael Hodock
English 219
University of New Mexico

1 May 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction.. Paragraph 1

Collected Data ...Paragraph 2-6

Conclusion..Paragraph 7
Works Cited...Page 6

Introduction:
With the pink ribbons of October and the race for the cure events of Susan G. Komen,
where there is support for a cure there is also controversy as to why a person became a victim in
the first place. The rumors swimming through the web and other medias have brought much
attention to the correlation between two things being that of antiperspirants/ deodorants causing

breast cancer. The correlation between breast cancer and the effects of chemicals and overall
composition that make up deodorants and antiperspirants have been pressed over the media both
digitally and that of the newspapers, though having poor research and evidentiary support. They
seem to have good theories of why that may be true, but such gossip and poorly supported
writings do not stand up to factual science and research.
Collected data and analysis:
With warnings coming from ranges of genres whether it be the web or newspaper media,
claiming that antiperspirants and deodorants cause a handful of breast cancer cases have been
relatively high. There have been hands full of poor reasonings that deodorant and or
antiperspirants have adverse and damaging compositions that can be absorbed through the
sensitive open skin from shaving and because it is a commonplace to apply such product in close
range to the breast. Such an article is that within in the popular and well known website called
WebMD by Stephanie Watson and reviewed by Laura Martin MD stating that,
studies suggest that chemicals in antiperspirants, including aluminum, are
absorbed into the skin, particularly when the skin is nicked during shaving.
These studies claim that those chemicals may then interact with DNA and lead
to cancerous changes in cells, or interfere with the action of the female
hormone estrogen, which is known to influence the growth of breast cancer
cells.
Although, you may notice there is no direct supporting evidence as to where these studies are.
She claims that studies have been done, yet does not support with the actual reference to such
studies along with data information. Thus, at NCI (National Cancer Institute) some researchers
have said that there is no concluding evidence linking the development of breast cancer to the

use of deodorants and or antiperspirants ("Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer."

National Cancer Institute.) The FDA has also not found any conclusive evidence of research data
leaning towards the proposed causation of breast cancer via antiperspirants and or deodorants.
Cancer researcher Dr Philippa Darbre at the University of Reading in Berkshire, United
Kingdom says that the latest research at the university claims that there has been aluminium and
zirconium found in such cosmetics that may essentially affect hormone levels increasing the risk
of breast cancer ( Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online. Associated
Newspapers ).
The University of Reading researcher Dr Darbre had obtained and collected powerful
evidence that there was a correlation between where the products are applied and the location of
the breast where cancerous tumors begin to develop. With this evidence, it was reviewed and
published within the Journal of Applied Toxicology having her experimental data expressed and
overall analysis that such products increase the risk of breast cancer. She said that within both
males and females that there has been an increase of cases from 31 percent in 1926 to 61 percent
in 1994 ( Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online. Associated
Newspapers). She also says that there is a distinctive linked correlation between breast tumors
and hormone levels and the compositions of the such products may cause an increase of
aluminium and zirconium absorption and can ultimately lead to breast tumors because they have
been found within the growth of a tumor. Although, many other scientists like Dr. Chris Flower
of the Cosmetics, Toiletry, and Perfume Association say that with such small amounts of the
chemicals found within a product it cannot be dangerous and that the Uk undergo extensive
safety assessments ( Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online.
Associated Newspapers). Dr. Flower had additionally pointed out that the researcher at the

University of Reading Dr. Darbre over the years had been claiming that the parabens within the
products were possibly causing breast cancer though he stressed that her claims had been shifting
from one thing to another, stating that,
"She now seems to have shifted to aluminium and zirconium,"
"I'm not quite sure what it is she doesn't like about deodorants, but one might almost feel that
she had it in for them." (Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online.
Associated Newspapers).
Within another article of the Daily Mail by Laura Blue, she obtained information
regarding a cancer researcher at the based at Oxford University, Dr. Tim Key adding,
"There is no need for concern about deodorants, in my view.
"The way science works is that someone puts an idea forward and others follow it if they think it
is worth doing so.
"At the moment, not many people think this is a worthwhile line of investigation." (Chapman,
James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online. Associated Newspapers)
One recent study of 1,500 women found no evidence to support the hypothesis
that antiperspirant use increases the risk of developing breast cancer. The study
was carried out after rumors of a causative link were circulated on the Internet.
Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre, Seattle, found there
was no increased risk of breast cancer among women who used antiperspirant or
deodorant, (Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online.
Associated Newspapers)
The essential reasoning as to why some may assume or think that antiperspirants and or
deodorants have some cause in the development of breast cancer is that of the location of the

breast and underarm. In most cases it is seen that breast cancer tumors tend to develop close to
lymph nodes which evidently is close to the underarm. With this being said, some ingredients
within the products contain parameds and aluminum (aluminum is necessarily found in high
amounts naturally in the body) that can be very effortlessly absorbed into the body and claim to
be detected in breast tumors (Gorski, David. "Breast Cancer Myths: No, Antiperspirants Do Not
Cause Breast Cancer").
People have said prior to the antiperspirant and breast cancer theory that there was also
correlations of aluminum with Alzheimer's disease. In 2002 a study was taken place that reported
no correlation between antiperspirants and deodorants causing an elevated risk of developing
breast cancer nor with the frequency of shaving within several hours and application
("Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer." National Cancer Institute).

Conclusion:
Overall, within the limited depth of research, there has been very good theories as to why
there is such a correlation between the two regarding the harmful effects of aluminum in the
body, it does not show studies that have taken place in support of such theories. This would be
because the studies that have take place do not necessarily support the fact that they do not
correlate, but that there is no conclusive reasoning or results therefore leaning more toward the
evidence that you are not at a higher risk in developing breast cancer if you use a antiperspirant
or deodorant compared to someone that does not.

Graph of Antiperspirants/Deodorant sales and cancer case incidents:

Works Cited

"Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer." National Cancer Institute. N.p., n.d.

Web. 23 March. 2016. <http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causesprevention/risk/myths/antiperspirants-fact-sheet>.
Blue, Laura. "Do Antiperspirants Cause Breast Cancer? | TIME.com." Time. Time, n.d.
Web. 23 March. 2016. <http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/12/do-antiperspirants-causebreast-cancer/>.
"Breast Cancer Myths: No, Antiperspirants Do Not Cause Breast Cancer Science-Based
Medicine." Breast Cancer Myths: No, Antiperspirants Do Not Cause Breast Cancer Science-

Based Medicine. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2016. <https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/cuttingthe-other-breast-off-does-not-improve-breast-cancer-survival/>.

Chapman, James. "Can Deodorants Cause Cancer?" Mail Online. Associated
Newspapers, n.d. Web. 23 March. 2016. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article185034/Can-deodorants-cause-cancer.html>.
Gorski, David. "Breast Cancer Myths: No, Antiperspirants Do Not Cause Breast Cancer."
(2014): n. pag. Science-Based Medicine. Web. 23 March. 2016.